State agencies crack down on 1,300 false food, drug product ads

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Broadcasting Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) have taken action against more than 1,300 false advertisements this year.

Paisarn Dunkum, FDA secretary-general, said the two groups had collaborated and taken action against 1,388 advertisements for food, drugs and food supplements on social media and in the e-market which overstated the products’ effects.

Authorities have already withdrawn food registration permits from 23 of them, said Dr Paisarn.

Peerapong Manakit, a commissioner at the NBTC, said hyped-up advertising was on the rise.

However, cooperation between the authorities started in 2018 and had resulted in heavier punishments — now up to a 100,000-baht fine and withdrawal of offenders’ business’ licences.

As of Nov 15, 18 TV operators and 674 radio broadcast operators had been prosecuted for running…