Centre proposes new and stricter anti-tobacco regulations for online content platforms
The anti-tobacco regulations will also include video-on-demand services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Centre has opened a 30-day public consultation period for individuals and organisations to submit feedback.
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Centre has introduced new draft regulations to enforce stricter anti-tobacco messaging on online curated content (OCC) platforms. This includes video-on-demand services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare made the draft announcement on September 13, 2024, seeking to amend the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Rules, 2024.
Read more: Healthy India | No-tobacco warning — here's why the mandatory rule extended to OTT platforms
It has opened a 30-day public consultation period for individuals and organisations to submit feedback.
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.
It also mandated that a 20-second audio-visual disclaimer warning about the dangers of tobacco use, be shown at the start of the content. For scenes that specifically feature smoking or tobacco consumption, static anti-tobacco warnings will need to be displayed throughout.
The said rules will apply to all released from September 1, 2023.
