Ads group quits food and drug control agency

Ads group quits food and drug control agency

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Advertising Agencies Association
(PPPI) has resigned from the review team at the Ministry of
Health's Food and Drugs Agency (BPOM) after seven years working
alongside BPOM to stop unlawful and misleading advertisements on
food and drugs.

"Our recommendations (to the head of BPOM) always ended up
unheard. We, for instance, had requested on so many occasions
that certain ads, such as the controversial ads of Kuku Bima (a
traditional herbal medicine), not be passed but BPOM still gave
their approval.

"We're really disappointed," Henry Saputra, an executive of
PPPI, told reporters on Wednesday.

Members of the BPOM panel consisted of representatives from
advertising agencies, executives of PPPI, pharmacologists,
representatives from the pharmaceutical and jamu (traditional
herbal medicine) industry and psychologists from the University
of Indonesia. The team was assigned to issue recommendations to
the head of state-controlled BPOM, who later give final approval
for the airing of ads.

According to Henry, members of the panel spent many days at
BPOM's offices studying proposed storyboards, scripts and layouts
to make professional recommendations. But all their work had met
deaf ears.

"Sometimes, the ads had already appeared even though we had
yet to examine them," he added.

Sutedjo Hadiwasito, who also represented PPPI in the team,
added that inconsistencies frequently occurred between the
panel's recommendations and the final decision issued by the head
of BPOM.

"Members of the team never received a copy of the head's
decision," said Sutedjo, who is also head of PPPI's law
department.

BPOM head Sampurno could not be reached for comment.

PPPI currently has some 230 advertising agencies operating in
this country. Together with the media, the agencies are racing to
enjoy a share of this year's predicted advertising expenditure
worth Rp 9.72 trillion. About 60 percent of advertising money
will go to TV, 29 percent to newspapers, 6 percent to magazines
and tabloids, 3 percent to radio and 2 percent to outdoor
advertising.

The industry largely faces public complaints regarding the
number of obscene, cheap and vulgar ads, mostly on food, drugs,
baby food, food supplements, cigarette and beauty products.

Among the latest products placed under the media highlight due
to their controversial ads included Irex (a food supplement), GIV
soap, Cinta-mi. Four brands of tonic drinks, namely Kratingdaeng,
Kratingdaeng S, Galian Bugar and M-150, which have been ordered
by BPOM to be withdrawn from the market within two months as from
Aug. 16 as tests found that the energy drinks contained up to 80
mg of caffeine per bottle, far higher than the 50 mg per bottle
written on the label.

During Wednesday's meeting, the PPPI also showed a number of
TV commercials that broke professional laws and PPPI's code of
ethics, such as child endorsement, no health warning and
harassment. Among them are Pharmaton Junior, Irex, Curcuma Plus,
Larutan Penyegar Kaki Tiga, Vegeta, AdemSari and Hemaviton.

PPPI chairman RTS Masli, said that in many cases the public
simply blamed misleading ads on the association saying that the
poor ads had been thoroughly checked by BPOM's jury team, which
included representatives from PPPI who knew the existing laws and
code of ethics.

"We're not defending ourselves. And there's no business war or
conflict of interests here. We quit from BPOM simply to promote
our efforts as a player and a responsible party as well as
helping us become more effective for consumers and the public in
general.

PPPI is planning to implement its aim to stop all unlawful ads
that mislead the public by setting up an independent body, whose
members will include non-advertisers, such as NGOs and the media.

"We're still working on it," Masli said. (bsr)