The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will receive a request from the Union Health Ministry to stop airing commercials for smokeless tobacco during cricket matches. According to Mint, part of this appeal is the elimination of surrogate advertisements from gutka products, which are frequently endorsed by former cricket players and Bollywood superstars.
Usually, these commercials pose as ads for the “elaichi” mouth fresheners made by tobacco firms.
Notably, Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium has regrettably become well-known for the countless tobacco product advertisements that are prominently placed on its stands.
Research Findings
Recent studies have shown how common these advertisements are. According to a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the international health organization Vital Strategies, which was published in the British Medical Journal in May, the final 17 cricket world cup matches in 2023 featured 41.3% of all surrogate advertisements for smokeless tobacco brands.
To request that the BCCI stop airing these surrogate advertisements, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), a division of the health ministry, intends to take action.
Impact on Youth
An official, who asked to remain unnamed, underlined cricket’s important influence on young people and pointed out that these advertisements frequently draw in a younger audience indirectly.
India has strong laws prohibiting the promotion of tobacco products. Both direct and indirect tobacco product advertising on cinema and television is prohibited by Section 5 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) and the Cable Television Network Rules, 1995. This restriction has been extended to include over-the-top (OTT) platforms as of September 1, 2023, making India the first nation to impose such a broad prohibition.
