FDA warns Alex Jones to stop telling his viewers to drink silver to fight coronavirus

On Thursday, The Daily Beast reported that the Food and Drug Administration is warning conspiracy theorist broadcaster Alex Jones to stop marketing supplements containing colloidal silver to his listeners as useful against COVID-19.

"The FDA has determined that your www.infowarsstore.com website offers 'Superblue Silver Immune Gargle,' 'SuperSilver Whitening Toothpaste,' 'SuperSilver Wound Dressing Gel' and 'Superblue Fluoride Free Toothpaste' for sale in the United States and that these products are intended to mitigate, prevent, treat, diagnose, or cure COVID-19 in people," said the agency in a letter. "Based on our review, these products are unapproved new drugs sold in violation of section 505(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act."

The letter continued, "You should take immediate action to correct the violations cited in this letter. The violations cited in this letter are not meant to be an all-inclusive list of violations that exist in connection with your products or operations," instructing him to email the agency with his plans to retract his claims, and warned, "failure to immediately correct the violations cited in this letter may result in legal action, including, without limitation, seizure and injunction."

Jones, an infamous conspiracy theorist who has claimed the government controls tornadoes and that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax with child actors, has also received threats of legal action from New York Attorney General Letitia James for marketing these products as effective against COVID-19.

Colloidal silver is a liquid solution containing tiny particles of silver. Over the years, a number of alternative health sites have marketed it as a cure for various conditions, but there is no scientific evidence that drinking it is an effective treatment for anything. Prolonged ingestion of silver solutions can result in argyria, a condition in which a person's skin permanently turns blue.

Silver has also been spuriously marketed as a coronavirus cure by televangelist Jim Bakker. Multiple states have sought restraining orders to block him.