Chinese regulators banned the use of celebrities to endorse tobacco products including e-cigarettes, off-campus tutoring, health care, medicine, medical instruments, health foods and formula food for special medical purposes.
The State Administration for Market Regulation together with six other agencies implemented the ban Monday through new guidelines regulating celebrity endorsements. This was the first national action on the commonly used marketing practice. Last year, East China’s Zhejiang Province issued guidelines banning stars from marketing medicines, medical instruments and health foods.