Harmfulness of Fake Commodities

One negative aspect of China s rapid economic development is the phenomenon of fake and shoddy goods. In the hope of making quick profits，some unscrupulous people manufacture and sell substandard clothing，foodstuffs and medicines. This malpractice has caused alarm and concern among consumers，who are increasingly demanding that it be stamped out.

There is no denying that fake commodities do a lot of harm，not only to the normal development of the economy as a whole，but also，and more importantly，for the health of the general public. For example，in 1988 in Northwest China s Shanxi Province a peasant sold fake liquor，resulting in the deaths of 27 people. Looked at from a wider perspective，the social evil of counterfeit goods has the side effect of undermining the people s trust in the market economy.

It is high time to take firm steps to put an end to this unhealthy trend once and for all. First，the government should tighten the rules and regulations concerning the manufacture and sale of commodities

，and make sure that they are enforced. Second，consumers associations should educate people to recognize shoddy goods and report them promptly to the authorities.