he gave it a try, abandoned it, and publicly denounced it after it didn't work

I'm not sure why that should be lauded. A sample size of 1 (and a trial length of merely 1 month, according to other posts) does not make a convincing study to warrant any public statements.

When there is no science behind it and you've been convinced by a bunch of charlatans hoping to make a quick buck off of taking advantage of the fear of their victims, there's not really a need to turn your experience into a study.

It's a matter of realizing you're being taken advantage of and speaking out about the experience.