(BCCI Credit)
The Union health ministry is poised to bring an end to the pervasive surrogate advertisements promoting tobacco products at cricket stadiums across India, aiming to phase out these ads from BCCI venues during matches.
Reports indicate that the government is concerned that these ads, often promoting smokeless tobacco, are notorious for enticing youth to use such products.
“Cricket matches widely 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 (Directorate General of Health Services) may communicate to the BCCI urging them to stop showing tobacco related ads in any form,” a DGHS official was quoted saying by the publication.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, tobacco use leads to approximately 1.35 million deaths annually. Tobacco manufacturers cleverly disguise their products as mouth fresheners, often endorsed by prominent public figures such as Bollywood actors and former cricketers.
Additionally, a study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Vital Strategies revealed that 41.3% of all surrogate advertisements for smokeless tobacco last year were prominently featured during the final 17 matches of the ODI World Cup.
