Prevalence of Illegal Health Product Advertisements on Local Radio Broadcasts in Amphur Mueang, Buriram Province

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of illegal health product advertisements on local radio broadcasts in Amphur Mueang, Buriram province. Method: The researcher recorded the broadcasts from all 14 local radio stations in Amphur Mueang, Buriram province licensed by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC).  Radio broadcasts were recorded for 2 days from opening times to closing times of the stations during November to December in 2015. The researcher evaluated whether the advertisings of health products followed relevant laws using the assessment forms approved by experienced officers. Results: The researcher was able to record the broadcastings from 9 out of 14 radio stations. A total of 153 identified health product advertisements was identified in 18 station days of data collection, 80 of which (52.29%) violated the law. The rates of illegal advertising among products identified as drugs, food and cosmetics were 91.07%, 48.15%, and 6.97%, respectively. The most prevalent form of illegal advertising was over-claim.   Rates of illegal advertisements in radio spots, DJ live-talking, and phone-in conversation were 46.15%, 41.02%, and 12.82%, respectively. Conclusion: Illegal health product advertisements in the era of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) were still an important problem. Therefore, there should be an organized effort for eradicating this problem by setting the goal and strategies the cooperation among government sector, private sector, and participating networks.