U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20204

71-1 

FOR RELEASE:
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1971

     The Food and Drug Administration warned today that the sale of second-hand relaxacisors is illegal.
     The warning stemmed from reports that owners of the electrical devices are attempting to dispose of them by offering them for sale in classified advertisements.
     The devices provide electrical shocks to the body through contact pads.  They were declared dangerous to health in a California court ruling last April against Relaxacisor, Inc., the distributor.

     In his decision, Judge William P. Gray said the devices could cause miscarriages and could aggravate many pre-exisiting medical conditions, including hernia, ulcers, varicose veins and epilepsy.
     More than 400,000 units have been sold for exercise and reducing.  After Judge Gray's decision, many concerned owners wrote to the distributor requesting a refund.   In seeking to allay their fears, the firm said it had filed an appeal and was confident the ruling would be reversed.

     The appeal was dismissed last November 24, by agreement between the firm and the Government, thus ending the case.
     In recent weeks, FDA has supplied posters to all post offices warning against use of the devices.
     In its warning today to both sellers and prospective purchasers of the devices, the FDA said such sales are in violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the devices are subject to seizure.
     The agency recommended that owners of the device either destroy them or render them inoperable to avoid any possibility of harm to unsuspecting users.

# # #