Too good to be true

“100% safe!”

People often think about the benefits of interventions and ignore possible harms. But few interventions that work are 100% safe.

People often don’t think about the harmful effects that interventions or treatments can have. For example, people often don’t think about the harmful effects of medication. But most medicines have side effects – unintended effects that are harmful or unpleasant.

Sometimes people don’t think about the harmful effects of treatments because they are hopeful that an intervention will help and ignore that it might be harmful.

BEWARE when someone says that an intervention or treatment is “100% safe” or does not say anything about its safety.

REMEMBER: Treatments can be harmful as well as helpful.