Rebecca alerts us to the interesting pharmaceutical guidelines on drug  
advertising. All of these guidelines are voluntary and created by these  companies 
to assure that they really do not need to change their effective  advertising 
campaigns. Infant formula is classified and regulated by the FDA as  a food, 
not a drug. The FDA does not control or monitor advertising for formula.  Its 
jurisdiction is only over two sections on the back panel of the formula can  - 
the list of ingredients and their values. The Federal Trade Commission  
regulates advertising of food through the FTC Act that describes the terms  
deceptive, false and misleading advertising. Infant formula ads are deceptive  enough 
to cause a mother to purchase the product because she thinks her baby  will be 
smarter - this is deceptive. False and misleading claims that  formula-fed 
babies will enjoy the same health outcomes as breastfed ones are  false and 
misleading.
 
I have registered complaints with the FTC regarding how infant formula is  
advertised. When I spoke with them they stated that only when hundreds of  
complaints are filed, either on line, by letter, or by telephone will they take  a 
look at the issue. I have mentioned this before on Lactnet and have written  
this is the Executive Summary of NABA's publication Selling Out Mothers and  
Babies. If we want to make a difference we can inundate the FTC with complaints  
regarding formula advertising.
 
If anyone would like help in crafting their response I am happy to help.  The 
complaint form is online at _www.ftc.gov_ (http://www.ftc.gov) . I  think a 
massive complaint to the FTC regarding infant formula advertising would  be a 
great way to cap off World Breastfeeding Week! As so many of you have been  
involved with nurse-ins how about write-ins to the FTC!
 
Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, MA

             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html