BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese experts have called for tighter rules on advertisement standards to protect consumers from misleading claims, especially for health products, said a report on Friday's China Daily.
Two cases involving misleading consumers came to light in last December, according to the newspaper
Shapuaisi, an eyedrops producer in China, used to claim its products could prevent and cure cataracts, which was challenged by an article released by DXY.com, a medical advice website on Dec. 2, that many elderly people suffered from delayed treatment due to the misleading ad.
On Dec. 5, the president of Wanglaoji Pharmaceutical Co. said drinking its herbal tea could prolong people's life by 10 percent, which was questioned by health experts.
The newspaper cited a professor's opinion, saying that the government had failed to exercise effective supervision over Shapuaisi's misleading advertising.
A specialized advertising standards institution is in need and the industry as well as the commerce department should supervise regulations, said Wang Weiguo, a professor specializing in civil business and economic law at China University of Political Science and Law.
Exaggerated claims relating to health products and nonprescription drugs should be of particular concern because consumers would be easily influenced by exaggerated effect, said Guo Xiaoling, a marketing professor at the University of International Business and Economics.
The country's advertising law stipulates that false content and content that misleads consumers constitute misleading advertising, and that spokespersons and advertisers carry joint liability.
