Columbia orders withdrawal of TV commercial about alleged harmful effects of sugary drinks

The Superintendence of Industry and Commerce ordered the ASOCIACIÓN EDUCAR CONSUMIDORES, to cease immediately , the broadcasting of the television commercial 1 that alludes to supposed repercussions on human health by the consumption of sugary drinks, such as soft drinks, bottled juices and iced tea.
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The above is a behavior that misleads consumers by attributing harmful effects to a product without having the necessary support for it, in violation of the provisions of the Consumer Statute, which establishes that consumers have the right to receive information. consistent and coherent that allows them to make reasonable consumption decisions and to have complete, truthful, transparent, timely, verifiable, comprehensible and suitable information regarding the products that are offered in the market .

Possible penalties for breach of the order

Failure to comply with the order will result in the penalties provided for in the Consumer Statute, which can be up to SIX HUNDRED EIGHTY NINE MILLION FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY AND FIVE THOUSAND PESOS M / CTE ($ 689,455,000.oo) equivalent to ONE THOUSAND MINIMUM SALARIES LEGAL CURRENT (1,000 SMLMV). Fines can be imposed successively and while the infringer remains in default

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Their organization, Educar Consumidores, was the most visible proponent of a proposed 20 percent tax on sugary drinks that was heading for a vote that month in Colombia’s Legislature. The group had raised money, rallied allies to the cause and produced a provocative television ad that warned consumers how sugar-laden beverages can lead to obesity and diet-related illnesses like diabetes.

The backlash was fierce. A Colombian government agency, responding to a complaint by the nation’s leading soda company that called the ad misleading, ordered it off the air. Then the agency went further: It prohibited Dr. Cerón and her colleagues from publicly discussing the health risks of sugar, under penalty of a $250,000 fine.
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But public health organizations, including the W.H.O., cite soda taxes as one of the most effective policy tools for cutting consumption of what nutritionists call a “liquid candy” that has contributed to an epidemic of obesity and related health conditions around the world. Dr. Kathryn Backholer, an expert on the issue at Deakin University in Australia, said taxes on soda were “low-hanging fruit” in the fight against obesity, diabetes and other weight-related diseases because such drinks are easily categorized to tax and sensible to target because they “have little or no nutritional value.”
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CletusWilbury said:

Superindustria orders withdrawal of TV commercial about alleged harmful effects of the consumption of sugary drinks

This was started by a NYTimes article: She Took On Colombia’s Soda Industry. Then She Was Silenced. NOV. 13, 2017

There are several possible debates regarding this. One might be a warning about governments restricting political ads.

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