Licence to Irresponsible Advertising

The national pro-life charity, LIFE, is stunned at the decision of the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice to allow private abortion clinics to advertise on television and radio.

LIFE Spokesman Mark Bhagwandin says,

“Our principal concern about advertising abortion services is to do with the normalisation of what is, by any measure, a serious procedure. Whatever one's opinion of abortion, the fact is that it ends the life of an existing human individual and we ought therefore to resist any measure that tends to trivialize it, or to make it appear as inconsequential as other consumer choices. To allow private abortion clinics, for whom abortions are part of their core business, to advertise on television alongside normal businesses such as carmakers and insurance companies is very likely to have this effect.

"Advertising, at its heart, is about encouraging and creating the perception of need and desire. We question whether this is a healthy attitude to encourage in matters of human life.

"It is easy to see, private abortion providers, made rich through the public purse, spending significant sums on advertising their product - abortion.  It will represent a not unsurprising business model that has at its heart, the interest of money and not of women. Where abortion businesses try to maximize profits through advertising their product, we are bound to see significant increases in the already extremely high number of abortions every year. 

"LIFE believes that this ruling will do nothing to help women in the situation of crisis pregnancy. Groups, such as LIFE, who offer positive alternatives, will struggle to afford similar advertising for their vital services, so that, once again, the primary 'choice' women will hear about is that of abortion. The BCAP ruling is therefore not in the interest of women and is deeply irresponsible”