Anti-Chiropractic Billboard in Connecticut Covered Up after Storm of Protest Led by ICA

A highly offensive anti-chiropractic billboard that was un­veiled on June 6,2005, was covered up by the advertising com­pany within 24-hours of the International Chiropractors Association's learning of its existence, following a storm of protest led by ICA leaders in that state. Reading "WARNING: Chiropractic Adjustments Can Kill or Permanently Disable You", the offensive billboard was designed and paid for by an organi­zation calling itself the "Chiropractic Stroke Victims Awareness Group." Immediately brought to ICA's attention by Connecticut ICA Assembly Representative Dr. Luigi DiRubba of Cheshire, CT, a resounding protest effort was undertaken. ICA's nationwide resources were mobilized, and a local protest, coordinated by Dr. DiRubba and ICA Board Member Dr. George Curry of Windsor, CT, was focused on the advertising company that rented the billboard containing the offensive message. Follow­ing hundreds of calls from outraged doctors of chiropractic and chiropractic patients, in a wave of protest never before encoun­tered by the advertising company, the message was covered over by mid-afternoon of the following day. ICA President Dr. John Maltby immediately ordered all of ICA's legal and public relations resources to be directed at this ugly and dangerous issue, out of concern both for the chiro­practic community in Connecticut, as well as an anticipation of similar messages being posted elsewhere in the nation, and perhaps in Canada, as well. In addition to the "WARNING" message, the billboard also made reference to a new anti-chiro­practic website, indicating that the billboard was part of a greater, closely coordinated effort. "These scare tactics, based on a grotesquely deceitful and intentionally harmful message, are about as low as chiropractic's critics and competitors can go," said ICA Board Member Dr. George Curry. "ICA will respond immediately with whatever means it requires to prevent this kind of lie-based scare cam­paign from hurting chiropractors or patients." As has been the case in other anti-chiropractic efforts in the media, the campaign has been traced by ICA to medical doctors in Canada, a trick probably intended to keep those engaged in such anti-competitive activities out of the reach of the perma­nent injunction handed down by the U.S. courts, making such activities on the part of organized medicine illegal. "This is not an issue of free speech," said ICA President Dr. John Maltby. "This is a matter of conscious deception for anti­competitive reasons that is akin to the famous "crying fire in a crowded theatre." This kind of behavior is simply outside the protections that we all cherish and respect and ICA will fight this unethical, offensive and inappropriate effort with all the resources at its command, and they will be defeated." ICA strongly urges all DCs, students, patients and concerned citizens nationwide to maintain a vigilant watch for similar anti-chiro­practic public displays and immediately call ICA at 800-423-4690, should other such messages be sighted. The International Chiropractors Association represents doc­tors of chiropractic and the interests and concerns of chiro­practic patients worldwide. For more information on this and other patient's rights and chiropractic issues, visit ICA's website at www.chiropractic.org. Chiropractic Adjustments Can Kill or Permanently Disable You