More abortion advertising on its way with new BCAP proposals

It is a little over two years ago that LIFE and other pro-life organisations protested to the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) about the not-for-profit organisation, Marie Stopes, advertising their ‘post-conception' services on television. Huge opposition was voiced with 26,000 people signing a petition, which was presented to BCAP in May 2009.

Given the extent of the opposition, it is staggering that BCAP has now launched a new consultation proposing to liberalise the rules to allow even more advertising of post-conception services.

The key proposed changes are:

1)    Permitting commercial groups to advertise their ‘post-conception' services on television & radio

2)    Introducing a new rule applying to both television and radio requiring medical and health advice services to provide suitable credentials before being able to advertise.

3)    Introducing a new rule to require services offering post-conception advice on pregnancy to state whether they refer for termination or not.

These proposed changes are unacceptable and we can only express utter disbelief that this is being allowed given the opposition to abortion advertising expressed during the 2009 public consultation.  To allow commercial abortion providers to advertise on TV, as though they were no different from car companies or detergent manufacturers, is shocking and exceeds the bounds of responsible advertising.

LIFE spokesperson, Joanne Hill, says, "By suggesting that abortion is yet another consumer choice, human life is trivialised and the distress and heartache faced by a woman making this irrevocable decision, which ends the life of her child, is glossed over."

Furthermore, insistence upon organisations stating whether they refer for abortion or not was thrown out by Parliament as recently as 2008, and for good reasons. Counselling, by its very nature, is non-directive. Any mention of referral is clearly leading women towards the option of abortion and so is highly inappropriate. LIFE believes that these proposals will do nothing to help women in the situation of crisis pregnancy. Groups, such as LIFE, who offer positive alternatives, will not be able to afford to advertise their vital services, so that, once again, the only thing women will hear about is the option of abortion.

Such drastic and potentially damaging changes ought not to be brought in through the back door in this way, but should be a matter for Parliament to consider.

We urge you to submit to the BCAP consultation and register your complaints.