The Union health ministry wants to request that Indian cricket's top governing body BCCI should quit displaying hoardings with smokeless tobacco commercials, particularly surrogate ads by gutka producers supported by Bollywood icons and former cricketers, in the stadium. In the recent surrogate advertisements, these celebrities were seen advancing 'elaichi' mouth purifiers made by smokeless tobacco item creators.
A review led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Vital Strategies, a global health organization, distributed in the British Medical Journal in May expressed that as much as 41.3% of all surrogate ads of smokeless tobacco (SLT) brands in 2023 were shown during the last 17 matches of the cricket world cup. A few cricket grounds facilitating well-known competitions like the IPL show ads for smokeless tobacco items, including Gutka
Ban on tobacco ads
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), under the aegis of the health ministry, will be requesting the BCCI to put an end to broadcasting surrogate advertisements promoting tobacco.
"Cricket matches are widely popular among the young population. There have been multiple instances wherein surrogate smokeless tobacco ads are being displayed during cricket matches and celebrity endorsements happening. This tends to indirectly attract the youths. The health ministry’s DGHS may communicate to the BCCI urging them to stop showing tobacco-related ads in any form," The Mint quoted an official aware of the matter requesting anonymity.
India has adopted a comprehensive strategy to handle the utilization of smokeless tobacco items, yet a lot more has to be done. The authority said adding that tobacco ad ought to be carried out rigorously. Strikingly, tobacco fabricating organizations promote gutka as 'pan masala' to escape from the prohibition on publicizing tobacco items. Surrogate commercials utilize these pan masala advertisements to advance gutka items with comparative names.
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