Recent reports stated that tobacco companies are reducing their advertisements in the traditional media these days, but are looking to step up their presence on the Internet. The Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention put together the report after it monitored 32 TV channels, 91 newspapers and magazines and various Internet media, such as commercial websites and micro blogs.
When it comes to the TV channels monitored, researchers found that tobacco ads were broadcast 117 times on two channels from May 13, 2013 to May 19, 2013, compared with 678 times on 19 channels from May 18, 2009 to May 24, 2009. The TV stations which were being monitored were 15 channels of China Central Television and 11 channels of Beijing TV and six provincial TV channels.
The director of the center’s health department Liu Xiurong said, “These ads are indirect promotions of tobacco manufacturers, because direct ads for tobacco products in traditional media are strictly prohibited by the Advertisement Law”. The law, which was formulated in 1994, banned the tobacco advertisements on five different types of traditional media, such as newspapers, magazine, TV and radio.
The advertising of tobacco products in traditional media must be stopped according to the law and the violators of this law will forfeit commission for the advertisements and will need to pay fines.
