Do not buy products or services claiming to “cure myopia” or “reduce refractive error”

The State Administration for Market Regulation explicitly states that “under current medical technology, myopia cannot be cured.” Phrases such as “recovery,” “restoration,” “reducing refractive error,” “curing myopia,” “myopia remedy,” and “repairing refractive error” are classified as illegal marketing claims subject to strict enforcement. If you encounter any of these terms, you can safely rule out those products without further comparison. Devices such as eye-care instruments are considered medical devices, and e-commerce platforms must verify whether sellers are qualified to sell them.

Cost

There is no cost involved; in fact, you save this money by avoiding such purchases.

Benefit

A notice issued by the General Office of the State Administration for Market Regulation between November 2021 and March 2022 clearly reiterates that “under current medical technology, myopia cannot be cured.” It mandates strict legal action against any marketing of products aimed at preventing or controlling myopia in children and adolescents that employ misleading language like “recovery,” “restoration,” “reducing refractive error,” “curing myopia,” “myopia remedy,” or “repairing refractive error.” The notice also calls for intensified efforts to combat practices that misuse traditional Chinese medicine terminology or theories for deceptive advertising, as well as two specific types of false advertising: using patient testimonials or images to compare pre- and post-treatment outcomes, and making guaranteed claims regarding treatment safety or effectiveness. Additionally, e-commerce platforms are required to rigorously verify the qualifications of sellers offering medical devices such as eye-care instruments and other specialized products (nationwide).

Notes

This grade is assigned because the basis comes from regulatory determinations during enforcement actions rather than from controlled comparative trials of actual products. However, both health authorities and regulators agree on the statement “Myopia can be prevented and controlled, but it cannot be reversed.” The only two evidence-backed recommendations appear in items 4 (outdoor activities) and 12 (proper eye examinations, glasses fitting, and follow-ups). Information on blue-light-blocking glasses can be found in Section 6.

Sources · 1

1. 市场监管总局办公厅 (2021). 关于开展儿童青少年近视防控产品违法违规商业营销宣传专项整治行动的通知. gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2021-11/12/content_5…