Close on the heels of union health ministry's ban on the advertisements of two brands of morning-after-pills 'Unwanted 72' and 'I-Pill' promoted by prominent pharma companies in the country, another pharma company has started advertisements on its emergency contraceptive pill 'Option-72', in gross violation of rules and regulations.

According to sources, the New Delhi-based Morepan Laboratories has started the advertisement blitzkrieg on its emergency contraceptive pill 'Option-72' in the national electronic media.

The reappearance of similar advertisements, that too shortly after the ministry's ban on two of such ads, have once again raised concern among the experts and public interest groups in the country. The main concern among the civil society organisations and gynaecologists in the country are the misuse of the pill by the young generation as these advertisements very often fail to drive home the message that these drugs are strictly meant for emergency situations and the drug should not be used as routine contraceptive pill.

In fact, the advertisements of these drugs have triggered a debate in sexually conservative India with critics arguing that the easy availability of such pills would encourage promiscuity among the millions of young people. There was also criticism that the easy availability of these drugs will also promote unsafe sex among younger generation and may result in promotion of diseases like HIV/AIDS in the country. The sales figures of 'Unwanted 72' and 'I-Pill' promoted by Mankind Pharma and Cipla respectively will only buttress these arguments.

Though the government has banned the advertisements of 'Unwanted 72' and 'I-Pill' recently and the companies have subsequently stopped the advertisements, the reappearance of similar advertisements show that there is still loopholes in the system which the companies can easily exploit. The cases of advertisements of 'Unwanted 72' and 'I-Pill' (and more recently, the case of GSK's ad on cervical cancer vaccine) are the examples how the companies would benefit from the authorities' indecision. The advertisement blitzkrieg on 'Unwanted 72' and 'I-Pill' continued for over a year before the government decided to ban it. But by the time the authorities acted, the company's purpose is already served.

In this case too, it is possible that by the time authorities act, the drug will become another household name among the youth in the country.