[3] It forms the basis for programs operated by groups affiliated with the Scientology organization, widely considered to be recruitment fronts, such as Narconon,[4] Criminon,[5] Second Chance,[6] and the International Academy of Detoxification Specialists.
[10] The 1979 predecessor of the Purification Rundown was known as the "Sweat Program" and was similarly designed to remove traces of LSD which, according to Hubbard, remained for long periods in the body.
[3][11] The participant had a restricted diet, including large doses of vitamins and a teaspoon of salt, and spent at least an hour a day jogging in a rubberised suit.
The term "Purification Rundown" is a trademark of the Religious Technology Center (the governing body of the Church of Scientology), though an RTC spokesman has denied any licensing arrangement with Narconon.
Conditions that are claimed by Scientologists to respond to the program include cancer, AIDS, heart problems, kidney failure, liver disease and obesity.
[20][21] In California, two organizations were set up by Scientologists to try to give scientific legitimacy to the detoxification program—Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (FASE) and HealthMed Clinic.
[2][22] The program, as delivered by HealthMed, is heavily promoted in the book Diet for a Poisoned Planet by journalist David Steinman, who denies any connection with the Church of Scientology.
[24] C. Everett Koop, the former Surgeon General of the United States, also criticized the book, recommending that the public stay away from Hubbard's "detoxification" procedure.
[14] Independent scientific evaluations report that the concentration of toxins or drugs in the sweat is negligible, as they are primarily removed from the body through the liver, the kidneys and the lungs.
[25][26] A 1995 review at a medical conference described the massive doses of niacin as inappropriate, especially since they cause the release of histamine, which is counterproductive when dealing with chemical sensitivity.
[27] Psychologist Herman Staudenmayer describes the program as part of a trend for diagnosing and treating a Multiple Chemical Sensitivity disorder which does not correspond to any known disease and is likely to be psychophysiological.
He wrote that "[...] the scientific evidence shows the exact opposite of what Hubbard's theory predicts", warning that large doses of niacin could cause liver damage, gout, gastritis, and other serious side-effects.
"[33] After reviewing materials published by Narconon, University of Oklahoma biochemistry professor Bruce Roe described the program as "a scam" based on "half-truths and pseudo-science.
"[34] In a 1988 report, Dr. Ronald E. Gots, a toxicology expert from Bethesda, Maryland, called the regimen "quackery", and noted that "no recognized body of toxicologists, no department of occupational medicine, nor any governmental agencies endorse or recommend such treatment.
"[35] In 1991, the Board of Mental Health in Oklahoma refused to certify the program for use in a Narconon facility on the grounds of potential danger from its high vitamin and mineral doses.
Some doctors who have observed the treatment have been impressed by the testimonials but asked for evidence that improvements are caused by the program itself rather than suggestion, delusion or the placebo effect.
[34] In 2007, psychopharmacology expert John Brick said of his visit to a Manhattan clinic, "Whether it's from some mysterious combination of vitamins or just good diet and exercise, I can't say.
[42] Paride Ella and Giuseppe Tomba, clients of Narconon in Taceno, Italy, died in 1995 during the vitamin phase of the program, suffering kidney problems and a heart attack respectively.
Instead of taking her blood pressure or calling an ambulance or even a doctor, they explained away her bleeding as "restimulation" from radiation she had absorbed from ultrasound testing she'd had years before.
[35] In 1994, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets covered costs for an alcoholic to go to Narconon for detoxification, but the council withdrew funding when the Church of Scientology connection was revealed.
[7][54] However, it has drawn criticism for exposing rescue workers to the potential dangers of the program,[25] for encouraging them to give up conventional medical treatments,[55] for recruiting into Scientology[56] and for channeling funding to Scientology-related bodies.
[7] Inspired by the New York project, a center in Orem, Utah administers the Purification Rundown to Salt Lake City police who complain of health effects from exposure to meth lab toxins.
[59] Many police who have taken part claim to have benefited, though a medical doctor associated with the Utah clinic acknowledged in 2007 that there were no studies of the program's effect on people who had been exposed to meth labs.
[61][62] In a 1998 interview, Heber Jentzsch, president of the Church of Scientology International, credited the program with curing radiation sickness that he allegedly suffered as a result of childhood exposure to nuclear testing in Utah.