Health Ministry Urges BCCI to Ban Surrogate Advertisements for Tobacco and Alcohol
New Delhi, 2nd August 2024: During cricket matches in India, stadiums frequently display surrogate advertisements for tobacco products. These ads, while not showing tobacco products directly, promote them through other related products. Recently, the Union Health Ministry has taken a stand against this practice, urging the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to eliminate hidden advertisements for tobacco and alcohol from cricket stadiums.
The ministry emphasized that players are role models for millions of youth, both in India and globally. In a letter to BCCI President Roger Binny and Sports Authority of India (SAI) Director General Sandeep Pradhan, Director General of Health Services Dr. Atul Goyal highlighted the importance of promoting a healthy, active, and productive lifestyle. “Players, especially cricketers, are role models for the youth,” Dr. Goyal stated on Thursday.
Dr. Goyal noted that the BCCI is responsible for creating policies, frameworks, and guidelines to promote cricket while considering the well-being of players and fans. He expressed disappointment over some well-known cricketers and famous actors participating in tobacco or alcohol-related advertisements during cricket events like the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“By seriously considering this issue, BCCI can take a positive step to ban players from doing tobacco or alcohol-related ads,” Dr. Goyal said. He also urged the BCCI to prevent other celebrities from appearing in such hidden advertisements during their sporting events, emphasizing that these celebrities are viewed as role models by millions of youth around the world.
