Firm Specializing in Enemas Faces Suit

The county district attorney’s office has filed suit against an Ojai firm that specializes in enemas, claiming the company made false claims about the benefits of a clean colon.

The civil lawsuit charges the owners of the Ojai Healing Arts Center with false advertising and unfair competition.

At issue is a two-page brochure that suggests “colon hydrotherapy” will treat a wide range of health complaints, from bad breath to blood-pressure problems.

“In fact, there is no medical evidence that any of these ailments, in any way, improve with the use of colon hydrotherapy,” the suit states.

Ventura County Deputy Dist. Atty. Mitchell Disney said that people with eating disorders may also be misled by the brochure’s claim that “overweight people can eliminate as much as 10 to 30 pounds over a series of treatments by merely cleaning out their lower gastrointestinal tract.”

Disney said doctors he consulted said that claim is false.

The prosecutor also said the owners are misleading customers into believing that they are getting medical treatment. The suit asks a judge to order the company to stop circulating the brochures.

But one of the two owners of the firm, Jeanine Sant, said she was stunned to hear of the lawsuit. She said no investigator had ever contacted her, nor did she realize her firm was under investigation.

“I’ve been doing business for 26 years and have never had a problem,” Sant said. Co-owner Garland Etheridge is also named as a defendant.