ABA's suggestion on complaining about formula advertising

[Jennifer13]

This was posted on the ABA's forum and given that there's so much opportunity to complain, I thought it might be of interest:

I notice that many of you are doing a fabulous job of writing to complain about advertising that offends you or that is in breach of either the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (WHO Code) or the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formula - Manufacturers' and Importer's Agreement 1992 (MAIF).
Some people have mentioned writing to the manufacturers (infant formula companies).
I am so encouraged by your enthusiasm.
However, writing to them gives them information about the thinking and the passion of breastfeeding advocates ... it also teaches them about what is important to breastfeeding mothers and helps them to develop more effective marketing strategies. They use these letters to support their claims that we (breastfeeidng mothers generally and ABA particularly) are people with extreme veiws who are 'anti-formula' and who seek to 'make bottlefeeding mothers feel guilty'. (ABA supports all mothers, regardless of their feeding method and our counsellors refer mothers who need to use breast milk substitutes to their health professionals for advice.)
So please don't write to formula companies or even to retailers. Write to your local MP and ask him/her to write to the Health Minister. Write to the chair of the APMAIF. Write to IBFAN but please, please don't give formula companies any more information with which to vilify and demonise breastfeeding mothers.
Perhaps we could use this thread to share our letters and to provide one another feedback.

Hope this helps some of you in your efforts!

[Phoenix]

Not only with the writing but the sneaky buggers actually cruise the forum to find out what is said about them. (you'll probably see my name all over the place on ABAs forum-can't get enough of it and until I was referred to this one I had no idea there was another forum with probreastfeeders YEAHH!!!)