Update on Anti-Tobacco Warnings on OTT

Government of India has notified Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Amendment Rules, 2023 vide GSR No. 400 (E) dated 31^st May, 2023 whereby every publisher of online curated contents displaying tobacco products or their use has to comply with

(a) display anti-tobacco health spots, of minimum thirty seconds duration each at the beginning and middle of the programme;

(b) display anti-tobacco health warning as a prominent static message at the bottom of the screen during the period of display of the tobacco products or their use in the programme;

(c) display an audio-visual disclaimer on the ill-effects of tobacco use, of minimum twenty seconds duration each, in the beginning and middle of the programme.

Further, all compliance is ensured as per Rule (6) of the Amendment Rules, 2023 through an inter-ministerial committee consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

The Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prof. S.P. Baghel stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

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HFW/Anti-Tobacco Warnings on OTT/25July2023/3