On Wednesday, the Indian Supreme Court strongly cautioned state governments about their failure to respond to concerns concerning deceptive modern medical marketing. A division bench led by Justice Abhay S. Oka issued the warning after noting the Delhi government’s justification that it was challenging to find the criminals behind such deceptive advertisements. The court deemed this line of thinking “peculiar” and stated unequivocally that the states need to address the problem more forcefully and aggressively.
For a long time, people have been concerned about deceptive advertising, especially when it comes to contemporary medicine and health products. These advertisements frequently make unsupported assertions that could seriously endanger public health and mislead the public. They might overstate the efficacy of medical procedures, medications, or therapies that lack scientific support, putting people’s health and safety at risk.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court underlined how important it is for state governments to regulate and stop this kind of dishonest and misleading advertising. In accordance with the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, which forbids the promotion of medications or remedies that contain false claims, the Court has been pleading with authorities to enforce the restrictions. Despite this, a lot of states have not taken decisive action to solve the issue, which has frustrated the court and threatened to take them to contempt if they do not follow the law.
The remarks made by Justice Oka emphasized how urgent it is to take the necessary action. He pointed out that the Delhi government’s claim that it is difficult to find the criminals is not a good reason to do nothing. The court is advocating for a more methodical and effective process to find the people behind these deceptive advertisements and to guarantee that the law is properly applied.
In addition, the Supreme Court ordered other states to provide status reports on their efforts to resolve the matter. Investigating and taking action against the advertisements disseminating erroneous medical claims is part of this. The Court’s caution emphasizes how crucial it is to protect public health and make sure that deceptive advertising doesn’t hurt or confuse the general population. Whether the states will act quickly to prevent more legal repercussions is still up in the air.
SOURCE :
NDTV NEWS
