The UAE Ministry of Health said it will intensify its control over advertisements related to public health in the emirates and implement the rules strictly, reported the Gulf News. A spokesman for the ministry said the placement of advertisements in the local media would be regulated.
Advertisers will have to obtain licenses from the Ministry before publishing their advertisements. The ministry will study and approve the contents of advertisements of events and products related to public health.
The proposed new guidelines for health advertising stipulate that advertisements should not harm UAE traditions or Islamic values, should shun exaggeration, and should avoid embarrassing or misleading consumers. Firms that do not conform to the regulations face increasingly stiffer fines.
The new guidelines are waiting to be approved by Deputy Minister Hassan Al Alkim and then referred to Minister of Health Hamad Abdul Rahman Al Madfa, who is to take the final decision and issue a ministerial decree. (www.albawaba.com)
