China is to launch a three-month campaign to wipe out illegal
advertisements of sexual medicine and venereal disease treatments,
the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) said
Wednesday.
The decision was made at an inter-ministry meeting on combating
illegal advertisements.
Attendants were officials from the SAIC, State Food and Drug
Administration, State Administration of Radio, Film and Television
(SARFT), Ministry of Health, Ministry of Public Security, and six
other government agencies.
Advertisements of sexually transmitted diseases treatment and
sexual products were increasing on the Internet recently, which
have misled consumers, impaired the credibility of the media and
seriously disturbed market order, said the SAIC.
The SAIC ordered its local bureaus to strengthen supervision of
major portal websites and advertising firms. Those who carry such
illegal advertisements would be severely punished according to
relevant regulations.
In the first three quarters of the year, a total of 36,293
misleading and illegal advertisements publicized through the media
were ferreted out by the SAIC, among which 6,025 were about
medicines.
(Xinhua News Agency November 29, 2007)