FDA to toughen regulations on cosmetic advertisements

The regulation is being considered by the FDA cosmetics committee. The new guidelines will be completed this year and submitted for Cabinet approval by the Public Health Minister, FDA deputy secretary-general Prapon Angtrakul said.
The regulation would provide clear examples of advertising message formats and messages that are banned would be divided into three categories, he said.
The categories that are banned are ads that boast about a product’s pharmaceutical properties in curing or treating a disease; those that claim a product can affect or alter body functions or structure, such as slimming a face or legs; and those that talk about results of using a product by citing medical research – but with no supporting evidence.
People convicted of violating these guidelines could face up to a year in jail and/or a fine of up to Bt100,000 – double the current punishments.
Prapon said the regulation would provide additional information on Article 41 (7) the Cosmetic Act 2015, which says that cosmetic advertisements must not contain “unfair messages to consumers”.
“When this regulation is enforced, anyone who uses an advertisement message in these prohibited ways will be law breakers. It will cover cosmetic ads in all media including print, radio, television and online,” he said.
Prapon said the new regulation would create two key impacts – advertisers would have clarity on which messages can be used and which cannot, plus consumers could use information in the regulation when considering whether to buy a product.