Time to bid goodbye to internet holistic health groups?

January 25, 2007

Publication: Times of India Mumbai; Date:2007 Jan 25; Section:Times Nation; Page Number 12 Govt plans ban on miracle cure ads

Kounteya Sinha | TNN

New Delhi: Self-styled yoga gurus and charlatans promising miracle cures for cancer and AIDS, homeopaths claiming to have the secret formula for hair to sprout on bald pates and other dealers of mumbo-jumbo had better watch out. False and misleading claims about medical remedies can mean a jail term.

The Union health ministry has decided to amend Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act, 1954, and ban all advertisement of claims to treating incurable or complicated health ailments.

Punishment is being enhanced for advertising of magic cures and quacks and doctors may well land behind bars. The penalty as of now is a paltry Rs 500. Now all advertising mediums—internet, TV and print—are being brought under the ambit of the act, which at present governs only print.

The ministry also plans to monitor all Indian advertisements selling medical solutions abroad and will soon circulate a cabinet note to this effect..

Health minister Anbumani Ramadoss told TOI, “Till now, only advertising of medicines was not allowed. After the amendment comes out, advertisement of false treatment modules will also be banned. People have started to openly advertise cures for untreatable diseases. The

ministry does not want citizens to be taken for a ride by such quacks. The amendments should be through in the next six months.’’

This move follows a spate of controversies, including one involving yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who reportedly claimed a cure for cancer and HIV/AIDS. The ministry has issued several notices to Baba Ramdev for these false claims through allopathy or alternative systems of medicine. The amendment would seek to curb similar advertisements, officials said.

“The penalty has been enhanced. Because the offence entailed a paltry Rs 500 fine, very few offenders were made accountable. Drug controllers found it hard to enforce the act and failed to create deterrence. Now, the amendments will empower regulators to put offenders to task,’’ an official said.

The amendments were suggested by an 11-member committee for amendment and strengthening of the magic remedies act, headed by Dr Ranjit Roychoudhury, seven years ago.

“The committee, which included drug controllers from four states, doctors and pharma association representatives, called for mandatory jail term for advertising medical cures that are not justified. We also found several false advertisements being sent to Gulf countries by Indian doctors and quacks. We want to regulate all such ads,’’ Dr Roychoudhury said.

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