Watch Out for Marketers Posing as Unbiased Treatment Resources

USE CLEAN ADVERTISING –

June 10, 2021 – The company branded its websites as impartial resources to find “the right treatment center for you,” without clearly disclosing that much of their content was paid advertising.

In fact, when people called Recovery Worldwide for help finding treatment, they were routed to directly to sales representatives for substance abuse treatment facilities that paid Recovery Worldwide to forward calls to them, without any consideration for the consumer’s preferred location or treatment needs.

Ferguson’s complaint, filed in King County Superior Court, asserts Recovery Worldwide’s conduct violates the Washington Consumer Protection Act.

As a result of the Attorney General’s investigation, Recovery Worldwide is legally required to clearly disclose which of its online content is paid advertising, in addition to other changes.

Free, comprehensive information regarding addiction treatment in your area is available through the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) at findtreatment.gov. For help finding treatment, call the SAMSHA hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357).

Washingtonians can also reach out to the Washington Recovery Help Line at http://www.warecoveryhelpline.org/ to learn about specific state resources, or by calling 1-866-789-1511. In addition to voice access, the state help line also offers texting services each Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.