Chinese newspapers and magazines will be prohibited from
accepting misleading advertising, says the State Press and
Publication Administration and the State Administration for
Industry and Commerce (SAIC).
The move follows a ban issued in August by the State
Administration of Radio, Film and Television and SAIC on similarly
misleading television and radio commercials.
Publications will be prohibited from accepting advertising that
promotes unproven medical products. Many of the ads promote male
potency, breast enlargements or magical cure-alls. Advertisements
for treatments for sexually transmitted diseases, induced abortion
and malignant tumors will be strictly prohibited in the print
media, according to a circular issued by the administrations.
The administrations say the misleading ads are often vulgar,
offensive and seriously impair the credibility of the print media.
"Advertisements must be true and credible," says the circular
announcing the ban.
The SFDA said it monitored 250 newspapers from January to August
and found that 91 percent of the 11,564 advertisements for
medicines were already being illegally promoted. Eighty four
percent of newspaper ads selling medical equipment were also being
illegally promoted.
In China it is illegal to advertise prescription drugs in the mass
media.
Meanwhile, a survey of 40 television channels by the SFDA showed
that about 72 percent of the commercials selling medicine and 80
percent of those selling medical equipment were being illegally
promoted.
Misleading ads and commercials have frequently duped consumers
who are increasing fed up with products that do not work. More than
two-thirds of Chinese netizens responding to an on-line survey in
September said they had been victimized by fake and illegal
advertisements.
The respondents said ads promoting medical products, health
foods and medicines were the most untrustworthy followed by those
for cosmetic products.
(Xinhua News Agency October 25, 2006)