In 2002, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration amended its rules so that water-treatment products containing substances like colloidal silver for which therapeutic claims are made must meet the requirements of medicines included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. This means that such products can no longer be legally marketed without proof that they are safe and effective for their intended purpose. The amendment was based on clnclusions that:
There is little evidence to support therapeutic claims made for colloidal silver products;
The risk to consumers of silver toxicity outweighs the value of trying an unsubstantiated treatment, and bacterial resistance to silver can occur
Efforts should be made to curb the illegal availability of colloidal silver products, which is a significant public health issue [16].
Warnings: The USDA has not approved use of colloidal silver in humans and has warned manufacturers against making false claims. They do not believe colloidal is safe to use and do not believe it is able to treat medical conditions. Colloidal silver has not been tested for safety in children less than 18 years of age.
Even though the Therapeutic Goods Administration describes colloidal silver as \"a significant public health issue\" and says \"the risk to consumers of silver toxicity outweighs the value of trying an unsubstantiated treatment\" it\'s on the shelves of \"health food\" shops around the country.
There\'s a loophole, you see. While it\'s illegal to sell colloidal silver as a medicine or dietary supplement it\'s legal to sell it for water purification. But many Australian manufacturers don\'t even bother pretending that they\'re selling it for water purification. Some put their recommended daily oral doses on the labels; others distribute weaselly worded pamphlets that seek to avoid legal responsibility even as they suggest that colloidal silver can treat cancer, arthritis, hepatitis C, Ross River virus and plenty else besides.