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The U.S. 10:23 Challenge | Feb. 5, 2011

The 10:23 Challenge is a world-wide action where groups seek to tell the truth about homeopathy: there’s nothing in it!

 The challenge began as a mass "overdose" demonstration in 2010 in the U.K., and has since spread around the world.


View The 10:23 Challenge in a larger map

This page provides resources and ideas specific to groups in the United States. The JREF is supporting 10:23 participants in the U.S. with tips, template materials, and suggestions for how to successfully organize a local event.

Resources

Websites:

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a group in my town participating in the 10:23 campaign?

Check out the map of where groups have confirmed that they are participating.

I want my local group to participate. What do I do?

  1. Sign up here and let us know what you’re planning to do.
  2. Review the planning materials and resources above. This will help you decide on an event, a venue and provide tips on contacting media and getting some publicity for your event.
  3. When you have a final confirmation and an event planned, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., who is acting as the US Project manager for the 10:23 campaign so she can get your event on the official website/map.

How can I be sure that the pills I’m taking are actually safe?

One of the challenges we face in the U.S. is that homeopathy is not adequately regulated. It is therefore possible that there are actual active ingredients in a so-called homeopathic remedy. The 10:23 campaign advises that if you're going to take a commercially-available remedy, check it out in advance and make sure it's a dilution of "30C" or higher. 30C is a commonly recommended dilution, and if prepared as the homeopaths say it is, it's well beyond any chance of containing any of the original substance being diluted. If possible, analyze the pills before you take them to be sure of their contents.

Since it's hard to be 100% confident about the purity of these preparations, the JREF recommends that people purchase a commercially available remedy that is known to be safe in normal doses, and then dilute it further in order to "strengthen it" according to homeopathic principles. This dilution could even be done as part of your demonstration, to show how ridiculous the idea is. That way, people can supposedly "overdose" on a substance that actually contains a smaller (and therefore safer) amount of the original homeopathic remedy -- plus skeptics don't have to give as much money to the manufacturers of this stuff!

I don’t have time to stage and organize a large campaign. Can I still participate?

Yes! Even if you organize a small meetup with a presentation about homeopathy, you will be contributing greatly to the larger event at a national level. The more cities we can put on our map, the more credence we provide to the campaign as a whole!

I still don’t feel comfortable staging an overdose. What other options do I have?

If you don’t want to do an overdose event, consider:

  • A homeopathic “bar” or “lemonade stand” in a public place that dispenses nothing but bottled water.
  • A small group leafleting a pharmacy during peak hours with bright WARNING leaflets about the sham products available inside.
  • A funny presentation about the most effective uses of homeopathic remedies. Revives wilting plants, eases a hangover, gets dirt off your car, cures being on fire. It works everywhere water does!

I am taking video and photos of my event. How do I tag this media so it’s picked up by the larger feed?

If you tag videos on Youtube and photos on Flickr with ‘ten23’ and ‘homeopathy’, they will get picked up automatically by the official 10:23 site/feed.

Where can I learn more about the 10:23 campaign?

Check out http://www.1023.org.uk/