The Union Health Ministry is planning to instruct the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to stop putting hoardings with advertisements for smokeless tobacco products at cricket venues around the country. According to a report by Live Mint, a number of tobacco products, endorsed by former cricketers and Bollywood celebrities, are advertised on hoardings at the venues during cricket matches. The report further stated that these kinds of surrogate advertising for tobacco products are indirectly targeted at youngsters and that is one of the major reasons behind the possible step taken by the ministry. 

“Cricket matches are popular among young population. There have been multiple instances wherein surrogate smokeless tobacco ads are being displayed during cricket matches and celebrity endorsement 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 report quoted an official.

“India has taken a comprehensive approach to tackle the use of smokeless tobacco products, but more needs to be done,” the official added indicating at a ban on these kinds of advertisements.

The broadcast of these kinds of advertisements are prohibited under Section 5 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) and the Cable Television Network Rules. It prohibits any direct or indirect advertising of such products in film, television or OTT platforms.

“These advertisements are actually well-known tobacco/gutka brands advertisements and to circumvent laws, they are being done in the name of Pan masala, Elaichi and other eatables. During my tenure as Delhi State Tobacco Control head, I had issued a lot of show cause notices to Bollywood and Hollywood stars and cricket stars when the Pan Masala advertisements were in rampant and were effectively stopped in several cases and now they mostly campaign tobaccos in the name of flavored Elaichi,” Dr S K Arora, former Tobacco Control Cell head at the Delhi government, said in the report.