June 9, 2005 Anti-Chiropractic Billboard in Connecticut Covered Up 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 Associationıs (ICA) learning of its existence, following a storm of protest led by ICA leaders in that state. Reading ³WARNING: Chiropractic Adjustments Can Kill or Permanently Disable You², the offensive billboard was designed and paid for by an organization calling itself the ³Chiropractic Stroke Victims Awareness Group.² Immediately brought to ICAıs attention by Connecticut ICA Assembly Representative Dr. Luigi DiRubba of Cheshire, Connecticut, a resounding protest effort was undertaken. ICAıs nationwide resources were mobilized, and a local protest, coordinated by Dr. DiRubba and ICA Board Member Dr. George Curry of Windsor, Connecticut, 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 ICAıs 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 ³WARNING² message, the billboard also made reference to a new anti-chiropractic website, indicating that the billboard was part of a greater, closely coordinated effort. ³These scare tactics, based on a grotesquely deceitful and intentionally harmful message, are about as low as chiropracticıs critics and competitors can go,² said ICA Board Member Dr. George Curry. ³ICA will respond immediately with whatever means it requires to prevent this kind of lie-based scare campaign from hurting chiropractors or patients.² 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. ³This is not an issue of free speech,² said ICA President Dr. John Maltby. ³This is a matter of conscious deception for anti- competitive reasons that is akin to the famous ŒCrying fire in a crowded theatre.ı 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.² 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 1-800-423-4690 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 patientıs rights and chiropractic issues, visit ICAıs website at www.chiropractic.org.