BEIJING,
April 20 (Xinhua) -- The top legislature began reviewing a draft amendment to
the Advertisement Law, which proposes a ban on baby formula advertising to
promote breast feeding.
"Dairy
products, drinks and other food advertisements that claim to partly or
completely substitute mother's milk are [banned from] mass media or public
venues," said the draft.
The draft
revision was submitted to the bimonthly legislative session of the National
People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which will run from Monday to
Friday.
The
proposal stipulates that advertisers, clients, agents and publishers that
violate the rule could be fined up to 1 million yuan (163,260 U.S. dollars).
Many
champions believe that breast feeding is the best source of nutrition for
newborns, as it increases their immune systems and reduces the likelihood of
obesity in adulthood.
However,
only 28 percent of infants younger than 6 months were breast fed exclusively in
China in 2008, well below the global average of about 40 percent, according to
figures released by United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
(UNICEF) China.
Breast
feeding rates might have increased in recent years as the government initiated
measures to revive the practice, such as encouraging businesses to offer new
mothers dedicated rooms to feed their infants or to express milk.
The State
Council aims to raise the exclusive breast feeding rate to 50 percent by 2020,
as outlined in its program for the development of women and children.
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