The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set up a special task force to address the issue of growing number of misleading advertisements broadcasted on electronic and print media with false health claims endangering public health.

Maharashtra FDA Minister Girish Bapat will be the head of the task force and seven joint commissioners from seven zones in Maharashtra are the members of the task force. The committee will prepare the report and has to be submitted  within 15 days. The report will feature action plan and strategy to tackle the growing trend of misleading ads.

Meanwhile, around 78 prosecutions have also been launched for violation of Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act (DMR Act) 1954 under the provisions of Section 3(d) and Section 4. It recently sent 389 show cause notices to the manufacturers and the people involved in violating the norms based on 369 such cases after having scrutinised 4,304 cases of misleading advertisements of products in print and electronic media.

The cases were related to making false claims like reducing obesity, increasing stamina, treating impotency, height enhancement and fair skin or complexion among others.

DMR Act seeks to curtail undesirable advertisements pertaining to drugs and magic remedies because advertising is considered to encourage self medication of harmful drugs. The Act lists the diseases and disorders in respect of which advertising is banned under Section 3 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, 1954.

Maharashtra FDA in its notice has stated that advertisement of ayurvedic products like ‘Razor Slim’ and ‘Play Win’ capsule published in the print media is objectionable under the DMR Act. The advertisement makes false claims that the said products are for the condition of treatment of obesity and increasing stamina respectively.

According to the notice, the regulator has requested and directed the publications to immediately stop broadcasting of said advertisement in the larger interest of public.

As per official sources, over 90 per cent of notices served are to the electronic media alone. The objectionable advertisement of the ayurvedic drugs were also being published in newspapers where the drugs were shown to cure ailments like cancer, hormonal disturbances, female genital tract problems, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, enhancing the breast cup size, etc.

The main objective of DMR Act is to control the advertisement of drugs in certain cases and to prohibit the advertisement connected with remedies alleged to posses magic qualities and to provide for matters connected therewith.