The Food & Drugs Control [BPOM] asked the people to always be on the
alert of the widespread circulation of illegal drugs and food among the public.
People’s safety was under threat if such were not overcome. Report of BPOM had
it that detection of illegal drugs and food had been increasing year after
year. Up to February 2013, BPOM had destroyed illegal drugs and food worth Rp 4
billion. Head of BPOM Lucky S Slamet stated in Jakarta on Thursday [14/3] that
the information was based on findings officials afield. All of the illegal
drugs were not in accordance with BPOM standard and normally hazardous to
consumers. Slamet claimed that he had no data of the exact amount of bad drugs
and food in the market.
Lucky Slamet explained that the dangers of a product could be visible in
the effect on consumers. And example was illegal cosmetics which might contain
dangerous chemicals which caused the users to suffer from skin irritation or
even damage. To wall put the entry of illegal drugs and food, Slamet had
stepped up control of drugstores and shop in the market. Beside protecting the
people it was also a step to strengthen position of domestic products in the
local market.
Integrated effort to control illegal products including drugs and food
was exercised by BPOM in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and other
related institutions. The collaboration was called the integrated Team of
Products in Circulation [TPBB] headed by the Ministry of Trade. “ We plead the
public to remain watchful as illegal drugs and food are still at large in the market”
he said.
Lucky Slamet stressed that BPOM would focus effort more on demand
reduction as a form of control over illegal drugs and food in the market. So
far BPOM had been focusing on supply reduction i.e. destruction of illegal
drugs and food. Unfortunately today supply for illegal drugs and food among the
people was increasing because demand of such products was also increasing. He
said that control mechanism by way of demand reduction was done by way of
enhancing public awareness of the dangers of illegal drugs and food.
Meanwhile to step up effectiveness of control over products in
circulation including non-food products, processed food and fresh food and law
enforcement in the effort to protect consumers, a Memorandum of Understanding
was signed between the Director General of Standardization and Consumers
Protection, Ministry of Trade and the Director General of Processing and
Marketing of Agricultural Yields, Head of the Board of Agro-quarantine and Head
of BPOM. By that MoU, collaboration in controlling based on partnership and
integration could be enhanced especially in the aspect of synergy and
integration in controlling the, market and to step up consumers protection and
strengthening of the domestic market.
Lucky Slamet saw that trading of illegal or fake products were
constantly growing in line with growing internet literacy among the people. The
most common drugs on sale were sexual tonic for men, libido enhancer for women,
and body slimmer agents. For that matter he said, the public were urged not to
be tempted by advertisements of drugs in the mass media, including social
media. Consumption of any medicine at all must be by doctor’s prescription.
BPOM had identified 83 sites which marketed illegal products without
sales permit in Indonesia. The number of sites increased trading of illegal
products by on line. The illegal drugs were reckoned to contain a number of
dangerous elements for the human body. According to Slamet, even by packaging
the products could not possibly be given any circulation permit in Indonesia. “
the packaging exploit the human body. The information of product benefit on the
labels were mortly exaggerated” he said. (SS)
Business News - March 20,2013
No comments:
Post a Comment