BCCI set to face Union Health Ministry's wrath for promoting Pan Masala through Cricket: Report

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is all set to take action against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for promoting tobacco and its products during matches held in India.

The ministry will reportedly ask the BCCI to stop showing surrogate advertisements for tobacco and tobacco-related products during cricket matches held in stadiums across the country.

Indian Government targets BCCI over indirect tobacco promotions during cricket matches

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is planning to take action in response to widespread concerns over the indirect promotion of tobacco-related products like Pan Masala through alternate products such as 'elaichi' mouth fresheners endorsed by Bollywood celebrities and former cricketers.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Recent surrogate advertisements have prominently featured public figures endorsing 'elaichi' mouth fresheners, which are actually manufactured by tobacco product makers with packaging and branding that closely resemble their tobacco counterparts. With this practice, they save themselves from advertising bans imposed by law.

Such ads are prominently displayed across stadiums, featuring long hoardings and advertisements for smokeless tobacco products, including Gutka—a combination of pan masala and chewing tobacco—hosting major events like the IPL, despite laws that don’t allow direct tobacco promotion.

Meanwhile, a recent study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Vital Strategies, published in the British Medical Journal, revealed that 41.3% of surrogate ads for smokeless tobacco brands occurred during the last 17 matches of the Cricket World Cup in 2023.

DGHS to request BCCI to stop showing tobacco-related ads in any form

Well, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), operating under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, will formally request the BCCI to stop these surrogate advertisements to curb the indirect promotion of tobacco products and reduce tobacco consumption and its health risks in India.

A DGHS official was quoted as saying by the Live Mint: “Cricket matches are widely popular among the young population. There have been multiple instances wherein surrogate smokeless tobacco ads are being displayed during cricket matches and celebrity endorsements are happening. This tends to indirectly attract youth. The health ministry’s DGHS may communicate with the BCCI, urging them to stop showing tobacco-related ads in any form.”

Notably, the advertisement banners within stadiums are managed by state associations rather than the BCCI directly. Additionally, broadcasters and streaming platforms handle TV and digital ads.

So, if the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issues a directive, it is likely that the BCCI will pass this on to the state associations, broadcasters, and streaming platforms for implementation.

"We have enough laws under COTPA, but they always escape"

On the other hand, Dr. S. K. Arora, Senior Chest Specialist and former Tobacco Control Cell Head at the Delhi government, said that these advertisements are actually well-known tobacco and Pan Masala brand advertisements.

He said that they are promoting their tobacco products in the name of Pan Masala, Elaichi, and other eatables, and even he had issued a lot of show cause notices to Bollywood and Hollywood stars and cricket stars regarding the same during his stint, but they escaped punishment.

Dr. Arora added, “We have enough laws under COTPA, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India, and others to punish them, but every time they get away from punishments because of their stature and lack of rigorous implementation of these laws.”