Ads group quits food and drug control agency<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Advertising Agencies Association
\n(PPPI) has resigned from the review team at the Ministry of
\nHealth's Food and Drugs Agency (BPOM) after seven years working
\nalongside BPOM to stop unlawful and misleading advertisements on
\nfood and drugs.<\/p>\n
\"Our recommendations (to the head of BPOM) always ended up
\nunheard. We, for instance, had requested on so many occasions
\nthat certain ads, such as the controversial ads of Kuku Bima (a
\ntraditional herbal medicine), not be passed but BPOM still gave
\ntheir approval.<\/p>\n
\"We're really disappointed,\" Henry Saputra, an executive of
\nPPPI, told reporters on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Members of the BPOM panel consisted of representatives from
\nadvertising agencies, executives of PPPI, pharmacologists,
\nrepresentatives from the pharmaceutical and jamu (traditional
\nherbal medicine) industry and psychologists from the University
\nof Indonesia. The team was assigned to issue recommendations to
\nthe head of state-controlled BPOM, who later give final approval
\nfor the airing of ads.<\/p>\n
According to Henry, members of the panel spent many days at
\nBPOM's offices studying proposed storyboards, scripts and layouts
\nto make professional recommendations. But all their work had met
\ndeaf ears.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes, the ads had already appeared even though we had
\nyet to examine them,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Sutedjo Hadiwasito, who also represented PPPI in the team,
\nadded that inconsistencies frequently occurred between the
\npanel's recommendations and the final decision issued by the head
\nof BPOM.<\/p>\n
\"Members of the team never received a copy of the head's
\ndecision,\" said Sutedjo, who is also head of PPPI's law
\ndepartment.<\/p>\n
BPOM head Sampurno could not be reached for comment.<\/p>\n
PPPI currently has some 230 advertising agencies operating in
\nthis country. Together with the media, the agencies are racing to
\nenjoy a share of this year's predicted advertising expenditure
\nworth Rp 9.72 trillion. About 60 percent of advertising money
\nwill go to TV, 29 percent to newspapers, 6 percent to magazines
\nand tabloids, 3 percent to radio and 2 percent to outdoor
\nadvertising.<\/p>\n
The industry largely faces public complaints regarding the
\nnumber of obscene, cheap and vulgar ads, mostly on food, drugs,
\nbaby food, food supplements, cigarette and beauty products.<\/p>\n
Among the latest products placed under the media highlight due
\nto their controversial ads included Irex (a food supplement), GIV
\nsoap, Cinta-mi. Four brands of tonic drinks, namely Kratingdaeng,
\nKratingdaeng S, Galian Bugar and M-150, which have been ordered
\nby BPOM to be withdrawn from the market within two months as from
\nAug. 16 as tests found that the energy drinks contained up to 80
\nmg of caffeine per bottle, far higher than the 50 mg per bottle
\nwritten on the label.<\/p>\n
During Wednesday's meeting, the PPPI also showed a number of
\nTV commercials that broke professional laws and PPPI's code of
\nethics, such as child endorsement, no health warning and
\nharassment. Among them are Pharmaton Junior, Irex, Curcuma Plus,
\nLarutan Penyegar Kaki Tiga, Vegeta, AdemSari and Hemaviton.<\/p>\n
PPPI chairman RTS Masli, said that in many cases the public
\nsimply blamed misleading ads on the association saying that the
\npoor ads had been thoroughly checked by BPOM's jury team, which
\nincluded representatives from PPPI who knew the existing laws and
\ncode of ethics.<\/p>\n
\"We're not defending ourselves. And there's no business war or
\nconflict of interests here. We quit from BPOM simply to promote
\nour efforts as a player and a responsible party as well as
\nhelping us become more effective for consumers and the public in
\ngeneral.<\/p>\n
PPPI is planning to implement its aim to stop all unlawful ads
\nthat mislead the public by setting up an independent body, whose
\nmembers will include non-advertisers, such as NGOs and the media.<\/p>\n
\"We're still working on it,\" Masli said. (bsr)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ads-group-quits-food-and-drug-control-agency-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }