Maharashtra Congress Pradesh Committee (MPCC) on Wednesday wrote a letter to the chief minister Prithviraj Chavan to look into the menace of misleading advertisements on television channels, which claim to rid people of various ailments and health problems, including weight loss and gain. The chief minister, according to MPCC spokesperson Sachin Sawant, has taken cognisance of the matter and given the assurance that he will look into the matter.
MPCC, in its letter, stated that various news channels, particularly after midnight, air advertisements that claim to provide treatments for a range of ailments like hair loss, joint pains, weight gain and loss, and the consequences of which are long term. The letter said, “The advertisers are exploiting the misery of the people who are already afflicted with health problems and people also often fall prey to the hogwash. In fact the number of people who easily buy their claims is increasing and end up in a worse condition, and this has been pointed out by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also.”
In 1954 the Central government constituted Bhatia Committee to frame a law that would ensure protection of people from such misleading advertisements. As a result, the Drug and Magic Remedy Acts 1954 came into existence. Under the Act, 54 ailments were notified, on which no advertisements claiming cure or curbing of the ailment can be advertised and no one can be a part of it in any manner. Anyone found guilty of violating the Act, can be subjected to six years of imprisonment and a penalty or both.
Mr Sawant said, “The Act also allows the police to take action against those who are found guilty of advertising or are involved in any other manner. The FDA has brought out 77 cases and submitted to the police and even sent a reminder, but the police have not taken any action. We have demanded that the police should act on it immediately.”