Geo TV falls foul of UK advertising law

The British advertising regulator has banned a series of commercials for US medical services that aired on international channel Geo TV UK.

Adverts for doctors' surgeries and a pharmacy in New York included shots of doctors treating children, promotion of "laser hair removal and skin care clinic", and images of drugs which in the UK are prescription-only.

Geo TV defended the commercials, saying they "complied with the law of the jurisdiction in which they were targeted and were self-evidently not targeted at UK viewers". The broadcaster added that the adverts did not refer to professional advice and said references to prescription-only drugs were "incidental".

However, the Advertising Standards Authority said they breached several rules on UK television adverts, adding that claims about laser surgery were misleading unless they could be substantiated.

"We concluded that the ads must not be shown again in their present form and that efficacy claims for laser treatment should not be made without adequate substantiation for them," said the ASA. "We reminded Geo TV of its responsibility to ensure that transmitted advertisements complied with the code."