The Union Health Ministry has asked BCCI and SAI to take proactive measures regarding tobacco advertisements

It has been suggested that the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) take action to allay this mounting anxiety, especially in cricket matches and with sports figures.

The Union Health Ministry has urged two significant Indian sports organisations to take proactive steps against surrogate advertising in order to counteract the indirect promotion of tobacco products.

Concerned about the prevalence of substitute commercials for alcohol and tobacco goods during major athletic events like the Indian Premier League (IPL), Director-General of Health Services Atul Goel voiced his concerns.

Goel emphasised in letters to SAI director-general Sandip Pradhan and BCCI president Roger Binny the detrimental effects of such promotions, particularly in view of the influence that actors and cricket players have on young people.

“Seeing prominent actors and some of the most well-known cricket players serve as stand-ins for tobacco and/or alcohol-related commercial advertisements during cricket competitions like the Indian Premier League is depressing. Millions of young people all throughout the nation look up to these individuals as role models, according to Goel.

India’s continuous attempts to lower tobacco use are the basis for this plea. Direct tobacco product advertising and smoking in public areas were outlawed in 2004 by the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) of 2003. Tobacco businesses, however, have discovered ways to get around regulations on surrogate advertising, frequently utilising items like “elaichi” (cardamom) to increase brand recall.

Steps that will support the uplifting perception of athletes include: Atul Goel

Goel has put out a number of ideas to address this problem. He proposed that the BCCI and SAI should both send out orders to athletes and cricket players who fall within their purview, asking them to abstain from taking part in sham promotions or endorsements of tobacco-related goods. He further advised against advertising or promoting such goods at stadiums or other events that these organisations host.

“Such measures will not only help in reducing tobacco consumption, especially among the youth, but they will also reinforce a positive image of athletes as advocates of fitness and health,” he said in closing.

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Experts in public health have voiced concerns that are in line with the initiative of the Health Ministry. Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi medical student Anoushka Saini noted in a recent blog post that surrogate items increase brand awareness for goods that businesses are legally allowed to sell but are not allowed to market.