Ad changes mulled to protect minors

Law amendment strengthens limits on tobacco advertising

China's top legislature on Monday began reviewing a draft amendment to the 20-year-old Advertisement Law that will better protect minors from advertisements.

The draft amendment was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) for a second reading during its bimonthly session, which runs from Monday to Sunday.

"[Advertisements] should not include content to induce minors to ask their parents to buy products or services and should not include content that may cause minors to imitate unsafe behavior," said the draft amendment.

It also stipulated that minors under the age of 10 should not be selected to endorse advertising.

Additionally, it prohibits advertising in high schools, primary schools and kindergartens as well as direct or indirect ads on education-related materials, such as textbooks, school uniforms and school buses.

The draft amendment also introduces stricter bans on tobacco ads. Instead of enumerating specific public venues where tobacco ads would be banned, the new edition directly lists "public venues, the vicinity of hospitals and schools, and public transport facilities."

It also bans outdoor and window tobacco ads.

"Advertisements for other products or services and public service ads should not include the brand, trademark, packaging, design and similar contents of tobacco products," it said.

An Jian, deputy director of the NPC Law Committee, said that according to the provisions, all forms of tobacco ads will be banned except for those posted and displayed in tobacco product shops and sent by tobacco producers internally to tobacco product shops.

The new edition stipulates that tobacco adverts should be approved by the industry and commerce administration department of the central government, instead of local governments, as had been the case previously.

Compared to in the past, tobacco and alcohol adverts have been assigned additional provisions.

For tobacco, it stipulates that under no circumstance should it be suggested that smoking is healthy, can relieve fatigue or ease mental strain; should not be labeled with "low-tar" or "low health risks;" and -prominence should be given to the slogan "smoking is harmful to health."

It stipulates that driving cars, boats or planes should not be included in alcohol ads, neither should drinking.

Further, "adverts for drugs, health food, medical equipment and medical services should not use pharmaceutical research organizations, academic institutions, medical institutions, industry associations, experts, patients or other endorsements to recommend or testify the effects of the products."

Monday's edition of the bill also bans the use of the army's flag, emblem and song in advertisements, in addition to the national flag, emblem and anthem.

The draft amendment now denotes that online advertising should also abide by the law.