1938, the year of John's birth, was notable for the passage of progressive social legislation, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (which established the minimum wage and regulated child labor), the Pure Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (which strengthened the nation's first consumer protection law), and the
Wheeler-Lea Act (which gave the Federal Trade Commission explicit authority to regulate deceptive advertising).
Federal Trade Commission's powers expanded by Wheeler-Lea Act, which makes unlawful the dissemination or the causing of the dissemination of false advertisements of food, drugs, devices, or cosmetics.
False advertising of claims was the responsibility of the Federal Trade Commission under the 1938 Wheeler-Lea Act. The Wheeler-Lea Act even had specific provisions for false advertisement of drugs and medicines.