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Excerpts from: Air-cleaner maker just blowing smoke

By Japan Times [11/19/02]
 
The Fair Trade Commission has warned air-cleaner maker Tornex Inc. about misleading consumers, sources close to the case said Monday.
The fair trade watchdog warned the company that it may have violated the law on truthful advertising by falsely claiming its smoke-control systems will "guarantee clean air."

The devices are not fully equipped to purify cigarette smoke, which contains about 200 types of dangerous substances, including carcinogens, the sources said.

The Tokyo-based firm reportedly claimed on its Web site and in its catalogs that its systems will "solve all problems related to tobacco smoke," even though it is difficult to eliminate most of the poisonous substances in gaseous form using current air purifiers.

The FTC's warning came after Masaaki Yamaoka, a Hyogo Prefecture physician and an expert on smoking issues, filed a complaint with the commission over the misleading ads, the sources said.