China is to launch a three-month campaign to wipe out illegal advertisements of sexual medicine and venereal disease treatments, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) said Wednesday.

The decision was made at an inter-ministry meeting on combating illegal advertisements.

Attendants were officials from the SAIC, State Food and Drug Administration, State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), Ministry of Health, Ministry of Public Security, and six other government agencies.

Advertisements of sexually transmitted diseases treatment and sexual products were increasing on the Internet recently, which have misled consumers, impaired the credibility of the media and seriously disturbed market order, said the SAIC.

The SAIC ordered its local bureaus to strengthen supervision of major portal websites and advertising firms. Those who carry such illegal advertisements would be severely punished according to relevant regulations.

In the first three quarters of the year, a total of 36,293 misleading and illegal advertisements publicized through the media were ferreted out by the SAIC, among which 6,025 were about medicines.

(Xinhua News Agency, November 29, 2007)