Advertisements on some medical products have still been seen on
TV, after a set of new regulations on banning them came into effect
on Aug. 1.
In a joint statement by the State Administration of Radio, Film
and Television (SARFT) and the State Administration of Industry and
Commerce (SAIC), television and radio advertisements for medicines,
medical equipments, weight loss, breast enlargement and other
beauty products and treatments are temporarily banned.
The joint statement by SARFT and SAIC said television and radio
stations that fail to fulfill their obligations to cause serious
results will be punished as such ads may violate consumer's rights
and endanger their health.
However, a dozen of provincial TV stations still put on show
such advertisements till midnight of Aug. 1, with introduction of
the medical products giving no details of manufacturers or
distributors.
"Such advertisements have broken the rules," said an official
with the SARFT, refusing to be named.
He explained that according to the new regulations, a TV
shopping program should make it clear the manufacturing and
distributing companies of the medical products, and the approval on
the products by the government.
He revealed that all provincial administrations under SARFT were
demanded to rectify the TV stations breaking the rules, and carry
out stricter checks over independently operating channels.
The SARFT will send a notice to those who broke rules, the
official noted. If one television or radio receives three notices
within 60 days, it will be forbidden to screen advertisement and
the officials in charge will be penalized.
The official stressed that the advertisements on weight losing
products in the name of "keeping fit" will also be banned.
According to some medical advertisements still on TV, people
might have slim figures by taking a pair of shoes or a pair of
trousers, or wash off their freckle with certain cleanser. The
advertisements even claim that the cleanser could wash off the
color of gold fish.
Lack of regulations and supervision has led to such
advertisements that exaggerate the products' functions and mislead
the consumers, said Qu Jianmin, an official in charge of
advertisements with the SAIC.
In recent year, a series of incidents have occurred in China as
fake drugs or inappropriate medical treatment led to injuries or
even deaths.
What's worse, Qu said, some advertisements on health food for
man used ambiguous pictures and words, which not only misled the
consumers, but also harmed the social atmosphere.
Qu said the SAIC will speed up the amendment on relevant
regulations to curb the misleading advertisements, and issue
standards for advertisements on medicines.
He revealed that the SAIC will launch a nationwide check-up
specially on advertisements for medicine and health care products.
The campaign will combat such activities as advertising on false
medicine and health care food, inviting patients, celebrities or
scholars to prove the functions of medical products, or
exaggerating the functions of these products.
Ren Qian, a senior official with the SARFT, said the SARFT will
not only ban the advertisements on medical products, but also
relevant advertisements that exaggerate the functions of the
products.
He told Xinhua that the SARFT will further regulate the
procedures of screening advertisements, check over the contents of
the advertisements, and tighten control on TV shopping
programs.?
(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2006)