See below for the letter sent to Moms & to Be magazine in Lebanon which has consistently been placing illegal ads of formula milk, bottles and teats in their magazine. So far they have not taken any action to stop these ads so please support us in this campaign and convince Moms & to Be to stop the illegal promotion of formula milk and bottle brands!
--
Moms & to Be magazine helps mums and pregnant women to be the best parents they can be. Every issue is filled with expert advice, baby care tips and all the help mums need to give their baby the best start in life. And as you state in your description section: “Moms & to Be is the only free English publication bringing moms and moms to be trusted advice on pregnancy and being a parent.”
However, we have unfortunately noticed several times the illegal advertisements of formula milk, bottles and teats in your magazine. As a trusted magazine addressing moms and moms-to-be, by placing ads of formula or bottle brands in your magazine you are giving a positive image and perception to these products and brands. The pictures of a happy mom giving her happy baby a bottle is leading many new moms and/or the inexperienced moms to believe that is the right thing to do.
We all know the NORMAL, NATURAL and BEST food for babies is breast milk. This is what common sense tells us and science confirms. Unfortunately, through a century of very successful marketing, the producers of formula milk have convinced the world that formula milk is a great substitute for mother’s milk, making it very difficult for mothers to successfully establish breastfeeding due to the pressure this misconception creates.
It is true that many breastfeeding moms may actually need bottles at some point to pump and store breast milk when they need to be away from the baby, but there are lots of risks for breastfeeding when bottles are used and mothers need to be warned about those: like breast refusal, nipple confusion which may lead to the baby to stop breastfeeding. These are all reasons why the law forbid advertisement of bottles as they may lead to informed choices. The mother should be required to go to the pharmacy to buy it.
Did you know that there is a law in Lebanon against the promotion of formula milks for babies?
This is after UNICEF and WHO approved the International Code of Marketing of Breast milk Substitutes IN 1981, which Lebanon included in its legislation as a law, although sadly it is frequently violated in Lebanon. Breastfeeding is the only really healthy option for babies (at least until 2 years if possible), and formula carries significant risks for both baby and mother, hence the prohibition to promote it.
This Law 47/2008 entitled “Organizing the Marketing of Baby and Young Child Feeding Products and Tools”, which FORBIDS ALL FORMULA MILK-PRODUCING COMPANIES AND BOTTLES COMPAGNIES FROM MARKETING THEIR PRODUCTS IN ANY WAY. The reason is that formula milk carries with it a very large set of risks for baby and mother’s health and development.
Risks associated with formula feeding are:
-FOR BABIES: obesity, asthma, allergies, ear infections, heart disease and high blood pressure, lower IQ and cognitive development, respiratory infections, Sudden Infant Death syndrome (SIDS), iron-deficiency anemia, diabetes, digestive problems, childhood cancers, dental problems and malocclusions, exposure to environmental contaminants (recalls), childhood cancers.
-FOR MOTHERS: diabetes, overweight and obesity, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, osteoporosis, hypertensive and cardiovascular diseases, reduced child spacing (having children more frequently because they do not enjoy the contraceptive effects of breastfeeding).
Law No.47 of 11/12/2008
Chapter I: Common Provisions
Article 2: Aim
This Law aims at providing safe and healthy food to infants and young children by protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding and ensuring safe use of infants and children food and complementary food products (when needed) according to adequate information, and providing the right information and educating parents and health workers about infant and young child health and nutrition through regulating the methods and practices of marketing and distribution to achieve this aim.
Article 3: Definitions
The definitions of the terms stated below are the definitions used throughout this Law.
1. Advertise: means to make any representation by any means whatsoever for the purpose of promoting the sale or use of a designated product including but not limited to:
a. audio, visual, or written publication including the books, television, radio, films, pictures, tapes (all sorts of videotapes, cassettes, disks, and compact disks), lectures, seminars, postal mail, e-mails, websites, telephones, mobile phones, SMS messaging, and faxes;
2. Promote: means to employ any method of directly or indirectly encouraging a person to purchase or use a designated product. This includes distributing samples of the products, free gifts, discounted gifts, or special offers for hospitals or physicians or others. Promotion includes what is called health assumptions.
3. Market: means to promote, distribute, merchandize, sell, or advertise a designated product, and includes product public relations and information services
9. Infant: means a child from birth up to the age of one year (12 months).
10. Young Child: means a child from the age of one year up to the age of three years (36 months).
11. Designated Product: means
a. infant formula
b. follow-up formula
c. any other product marketed or otherwise represented as suitable for feeding infants and young children up to the age of three years
d. feeding bottles, teats, and pacifiers
15. Pacifier: means an artificial teat for babies to suck. It is known by many names like “dummy”.
Chapter III: Prohibitions related to Promotion
Article 8: A manufacturer, distributor, or marketer, shall not him or herself or by any other person on his or her behalf, promote any designated product in the points of sale, health care facilities, or any other place.
Prohibited promotional practices include but are not limited to:
a. advertising;
b. sale devices such as special displays, baby-talkers, discount coupons, premiums, rebates, special sales, loss-leaders, tie-in sales, prizes or gifts;
Article 10: A manufacturer, distributor, or marketer shall not offer for sale or sell a designated product if its container or label affixed thereto includes pictures, drawings, or graphics other than those used to clarify the methods of preparation.
A manufacturer or distributor shall not offer for sale or sell a designated product unless the container or label affixed thereto indicates the following, in a clear, conspicuous and easily readable manner, in Arabic:
a. the words “IMPORTANT NOTICE” in capital letters using a 14-sized font referring to the statement under it: “Breastmilk is the ideal food for infants and young children up to the age of two years. It promotes immunity and protects against diarrhea and other illnesses”,
1. For designated products other than the feeding bottles, teats, and pacifiers: “Seek the advice of a physician before using an infant formula. If you use a feeding bottle, your baby may refuse to feed from the breast. It is better to feed from a cup”.
Article 27: Any natural or legal person has the right to file a complaint to the Ministry or the National Committee related to violations of this Law and the rules made pursuant thereto. Upon receiving a report on violations of this Law and rules made pursuant thereto from an inspector or others, the National Committee submits its recommendations to the Minister in order to take proper legal actions.
Chapter IX: PenaltiesThe following is the LAW BREACHES in some of the 2013 issues:
Article 28:
1. Any natural or legal person violating this Law and the rules made pursuant thereto is subject to the provisions of Chapter X of the Pharmacy Practice Law.
2. Health workers are subject, in addition to the aforementioned, to administrative sanctions that include temporary suspension of his / her work permit for a maximum duration of 6 months.
In case of repeated violation, he /she will be forbidden from practicing his/her profession.
3. Health professionals are submitted to disciplinary sanctions according to the provisions and rules in use at the Order to which he/she belongs.
In April 2013 issue:
A free AVENT gift pack with a bottle and a pacifier among other things for every new member on page 2 (it is a standard practice in every issue)
Full page ad (page 9) of an AVENT bottle with a portrait of a mother happily bottle feeding her infant.
(page 27) Full page ad of Mothercare that shows bottles next to pumps
(page 34-35) 2 full pages of Aptajunior and Aptakid formula ads
In March 2013 issue:
(Page 2) same Avent free pack with a bottle and a pacifier
(Page 16) is "my infant nutrition pocket guide" 0-12 months
This pocket guide clearly violates the recommendations of WHO's 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding by saying that at 4 months we can introduce infant cereal. It also says that "if you choose to give an infant formula, let it be an iron fortified one." then goes to a chart of how much formula to give at each stage. Is that allowed? And besides, all their recommendations on breastfeeding is incorrect as well (breastfeed only for 20 min each side, give only so many feedings per day, and so on)
(page 20-21) 2 full pages of Bledina ads (ages 1-3 years)
(back cover) same full page ad of an Avent "natural" bottle with the mother happily bottle feeding her baby (same as in April 2013 issue)
In February 2013 issue:
(page 2) same Avent free gift pack with a bottle and a pacifier for new members
(Page 31, 33, 35) Aptajunior 3 formula ads (1-3 years)
(back cover) same full page ad of an Avent "natural" bottle with the mother happily bottle feeding her baby (same as in April and March 2013 issues)
In January 2013 issue:
(page 2) same Avent free gift pack with a bottle and a pacifier for new members
(page 32-33) 2 full pages of Bledina ads (ages 1-3 years)
and the list goes on and on...
So we trust you to STOP THIS LAW BREACH AND TO SUPPORT MOTHERS AND BABIES BY NOT PROMOTING ILLEGALY FORMULA MILK , BOTLLES, AND TEATS!
No comments:
Post a Comment