China will ban promotional programs about quack medical products on TV and radio from next month.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce issued a notice about the ban yesterday.

Some promotions exaggerate the ability of medicine or medical contraptions to cure chronic diseases or overcome congenital abnormalities, the notice said.

Some also use so-called "experts," "happy patients" and "current users" in their TV programs to claim magical effects for products.

Such practices could mislead consumers and harm their legal rights and interests, the notice said.

They also downplay the social accountability of mass media, such as radio and TV, it said.

The notice asked radio, film and TV officials to review all their shopping programs and advertisements.

Officials could face administrative punishment for trouble caused by programs, it said.

The notice ordered all products appearing in promotions to have genuine file approval numbers and programs to contain only genuine product information.

The content of medical consultant programs should focus on disease precautions, control and treatment.

Medical professionals invited to take part in programs are banned from using propaganda on cure rates, efficiency or treatment methods which are not widely adopted.

Instant communication between doctors and patients and contact information of the medical institutions are also banned.

Chinese media reported a TV shopping scandal several days ago involving a company advertised on 17 TV channels.

It sold "magic pills" said to transfer body fat from a woman's waist to her breasts.

The pills cost about 900 yuan (US$113) for one treatment period, media reports said.

But a recent study showed the pills have no effect at all. Some people who took the pills suffered side effects.

A woman who took the pills for a month said she developed acne on her face, but her breast size didn't increase.

The company began promoting the pill Bolibao this year.

A franchisee of the pills said the company spent 52 million yuan a month advertising and earned at least 2.4 million yuan every day from sales.

(Shanghai Daily July 20, 2006)