Dishoenst companies advertise fraudulent products

Of late, a number of dishonest companies are coming up in India. They are using the electronic media, and at times print media too, to advertise their products which are mostly questionable in nature.

There are a number of products for weight loss, some to cure impotency and some others to give protection from evils. However, the number one dishonest company in the weight reduction sector, Herbalife never advertises but spreading like water under a carpet.

In fact, as per the law of the land, none of these products should be advertised in any media, be it electronic or print. They are banned from advertising under the provisions of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. The Act clearly bans advertisements regarding 54 ailments including obesity. Recent amendments to the Act included two more ailments -- AIDS and Asthma.

A number of dishonest companies do not care for the law of the land and continue to advertise their fraudulent products in the electronic and print media.

For instance, Kerala-based Kunnath Pharmaceuticals advertises its product X-Tra Power Musli which they claim would treat the impotency among men and surprisingly women too. Vijayawada-based Consumers' Guidance Society has already filed a criminal case against that company. They moved the Andhra Pradesh High Court and obtained stay order.

Another multinational company France Vitas advertises in the print media that its product is useful to shed extra flab. It boasts that people need not starve themselves and they could eat whatever amount and whatever variety they want. Still, their product could help them to lose weight. Actually, the product they are offering pineapple extract to shed extra flab.

All these products are prohibitively costly and the efficiency of these products is doubtful.

For instance, Kunnath Pharma claims that the success rate for curing impotency with X-Tra Power Musli is around 76 per cent. IF anybody complains that the Musli is not useful, the company would say that they are in the unfortunate 24 per cent lot.

There are some other products which fall under the Magic Remedies section of the Act. Several products like 'Raksha Kavacham' with the symbol of Lord Hanuman (the monkey god) and other gods to drive away evil, and some other products with semi precious stones to bring luck. The sellers of these lucky stones claim that the purchasers would become millionaires with the help of these stones.

The Government Drug Department is supposed to file criminal cases against such companies under this Act. But reasons better known to everyone, they turn a Nelson's eye letting these dishonest companies go scot free. In fact, the Drug Department has become so corrupt that they seldom file criminal cases against such companies.