08 July 2010
BEIRUT: The National Audiovisual Media Council announced on Tuesday that three media outlets have stopped broadcasting advertisements for herbal medicines.
The council had sent a letter to all audiovisual media outlets, urging them to implement Law number 90, published in the official gazette on 11/3/2010, which prohibited all promotion of herbal medicines and other medical products.
The council received three positive responses as the state-run television station Tele Liban, local television station Future TV and local radio station Radio Orient confirmed they had stopped broadcasting such advertisements.
“The National Audiovisual Media Council asks you to immediately stop violating the mentioned law,” the letter said.
On Monday the General Directorate of General Security announced the need to implement the law. It issued a statement prohibiting all media outlets from advertising for herbal medicines and other products of a medicinal nature. The decision included written, audio and audiovisual media outlets.
The council’s letter also mentioned that violating the law consequently meant breaching media license conditions and contradicting the institutions’ obligations.
It then warned that “manipulating the law by replacing advertisement for herbal medicines with indirect advertisement methods” was also legally punishable. – The Daily Star
Copyright The Daily Star 2010.
