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The following is issued on behalf of the Broadcasting Authority:
At its meeting in April, the Broadcasting Authority (BA) considered one complaint case concerning one public complaint. The case was about the television advertisement for "Alcolout" (「酒筲箕」广告) broadcast on the Cable EPL Channel of Hong Kong Cable Television Limited (HKCTV) on December 17, 2006, at 12.02am. Please see Annex for details.
Annex
Summary of Substantiated Complaint Case
Television advertisement for "Alcolout"(「酒筲箕」广告) broadcast on the Cable EPL Channel of Hong Kong Cable Television Limited (HKCTV) on December 17, 2006 at 12.02 am.
A member of the public complained that the claims 「纯天然酒筲箕经科学验证，专吸酒精，安全有效。酒筲箕有助酒精胃内迅速地吸收，减少酒精进入血管，纾解酒醉烦恼。不易醉，有根据，全靠酒筲箕」 (Alcolout, a pure natural product, is scientifically proven to absorb alcohol safely and effectively. It helps to absorb alcohol fast in the stomach, reduce the amount of alcohol entering the blood stream, and ease off the unpleasantness of intoxication. Not easy to get drunk, all proven, it depends entirely on Alcolout) in the advertisement were misleading as the efficacy of the product was doubtful.
The authority noted that (i) the claims concerned were based on a study in mice (Note); (ii) there was no evidence from the study that the product could alleviate both short-term and long-term ethanol poisoning effects as claimed in the advertisement; and (iii) the study was conducted in a mammalian model rather than in human, the efficacy of the product in preventing ethanol poisoning was unknown when used in humans. The authority also noted that the advertised product was manufactured in the form of capsule which looked like a pharmaceutical product rather than a food product.
The authority considered that the factual claims relating to ethanol absorption in the stomach and bloodstream, and the easing off of the unpleasantness of alcohol intoxication in the advertisement were specific claims. Moreover, the study submitted by HKCTV which was conducted only on mice could hardly justify the claims in the advertisement as there was no strong evidence to suggest that the effect of the advertised product on mice would be the same as that on humans. As such, the efficacy of the product in preventing ethanol poisoning when used in human was doubtful and the claims could not be substantiated. The authority also considered that HKCTV had not exercised due diligence to ascertain the truthfulness of the claims concerned.
HKCTV was given a strong advice to observe paragraph 9 of Chapter 3 of the Generic Code of Practice on Television Advertising Standards on truthful presentation and paragraph 1 of Chapter 4 of the same Code on factual claims.
Note:
The study indicated that the ingredient of the product, Konjac Glucomannan, could reduce ethanol absorption in mice. The animals given Konjac Glucomannan before or after oral administration of alcohol had lower blood ethanol level as compared to the control group.
Ends/Monday, April 30, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:45
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