Keep tobacco, alcohol ads and their proxies off IPL: Health Ministry tells Cricket Board

In a letter to IPL Chairman Arun Singh Dhumal, Director General of Health Services Atul Goel has urged to ban all tobacco and alcohol advertising during matches, related events and on TV broadcasts.

By  Storyboard18| March 10, 2025, 09:10:57 IST
These proposed rules, notified in 2024, aim to extend tobacco control regulations that already apply to films and television to online streaming content.

In a letter to the Indian Premier League Chairman Arun Singh Dhumal, Director General of Health Services Atul Goel has urged to ban all tobacco and alcohol advertising during matches, related events and on national TV broadcasts.

The letter dated March 5, also addressed these concerns to the Board of Control for Cricket in India, and sought the sports bodies to discourage sportspersons from endorsing alcohol or tobacco-related products, directly or indirectly.

Goel also urged to do away with the sale of tobacco and alcohol products in all affiliated events.

It was further mentioned that India is experiencing a significant burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which account for more than 70% of deaths annually. "Tobacco and alcohol use are key risk factors for NCDs. We rank second in tobacco-related deaths worldwide, with nearly 14 lakh annual deaths, while alcohol is the most common psychoactive substance used by Indians," Goel noted.

The letter reportedly also mentioned that since cricket players are role models for youngsters and IPL being the largest sports platform in the country, it has a social and moral obligation to promote public health and support government initiatives.

Last year, Centre introduced new draft regulations to enforce stricter anti-tobacco messaging on online curated content (OCC) platforms also. This includes video-on-demand services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. In a move to intensify its anti-tobacco campaign, the government has said that the proposed rules will require OCC platforms to include non-skippable anti-tobacco health spots, lasting a minimum of 30 seconds, at the beginning and midway through any content that features tobacco use.

Tags
First Published onMarch 10, 2025, 09:05:24 IST

SPOTLIGHT

Special CoverageCalling India’s Boldest Brand Makers: Entries Open for the Storyboard18 Awards for Creativity

From purpose-driven work and narrative-rich brand films to AI-enabled ideas and creator-led collaborations, the awards reflect the full spectrum of modern creativity.

Read More

Storyboard18 Awards for Creativity assemble India’s most prestigious jury

The Storyboard18 Awards for Creativity have unveiled a Grand Jury comprising some of India’s most influential leaders across advertising, business, policy and culture, positioning it among the country’s most prestigious creative award platforms.