| Australia cracks down on "before and after" photos and Botox parties |
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| Thursday, 22 March 2007 | |
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The ban, expected to be announced today, follows similar legislation in the Australian state of Victoria and comes after a survey revealed that 20 percent of Australian women has undergone non-surgical cosmetic treatments such as collagen or Botox injections. Botox parties take place in private homes or in hotel suites, where an assembled group of people receive Botox treatment from one practitioner during the course of an evening. Some medical experts condemn them as dangerous, citing the lack of backup medical facilities, the impulsive nature of the events and the opportunity that they provide for rogue therapists to ply their trade. The Chief Executive of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery, Dr John Flynn, said his organisation did not endorse Botox parties and said some "before and after" pictures were unethical. "Botox parties are a concern because they are an emotive situation and if there is alcohol involved than people may not be able to make a clear decision," he said. State Minister of Health, John Hatzistergos, called on the Australian Government to tighten the rules on Botox ads and said it was inappropriate for the treatment to be administered outside a medical setting. "Receiving medical treatment from a doctor is not like other services. It's not like getting a tradesman out to do work on your house," he said. Mr Hatzistergos added that he was seeking legal advice to ensure that any changes to the law regarding "before and after" pictures did not breach existing Australian Competition and Consumer Commission rules. |
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