China's State Food and Drug Administration plans to issue regular alerts about illegitimate drug, medical appliance and health product advertisements.

Citing a survey targeting 250 newspapers it monitors, the administration said that 91 percent of the 11,564 drug advertisements released between January and August were illegitimate. They either had no prior approval or published fake information.

About 84 percent of the 1,904 medical appliance advertisements released also transgressed regulations and laws.

The administration said that the alerts would list illegally advertised products and explain why the advertisement was unreliable and illegitimate.

Advertisers who breached laws would be named in the alerts, it said.

The administration urged local branches to tighten their supervision of publications who defied regulations about accepting advertising that promotes unproven medical products.

The combat against illegitimate advertisements was stepped up after the State Council's General Office decided to crack down on commercial fraud.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television in August issued a ban on misleading television and radio commercials. On Tuesday, the State Press and Publication Administration issued a notice forbidding newspapers and magazines from accepting misleading advertising.

Source: Xinhua