Advisory Urges IPL to Ban Tobacco & Alcohol Ads

In a letter dated March 5 to IPL Chairman Arun Singh Dhumal and the BCCI, Director General of Health Services Atul Goel called for strict implementation of regulations banning tobacco and alcohol advertisements, including surrogate ads, both within stadiums hosting IPL events and during televised broadcasts.

The letter highlights the rise in non-communicable diseases in India, with tobacco and alcohol use being major contributing factors. Goel emphasised IPL’s moral responsibility, along with cricketers, to promote public health and support government health initiatives.

The advisory also urged the discouragement of sportspersons (including commentators) from endorsing products linked to tobacco or alcohol, either directly or indirectly.

As part of its broader anti-tobacco efforts, the Health Ministry introduced draft amendments last year to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Rules, 2004. These proposed amendments aim to mandate the display of non-skippable anti-tobacco health spots and disclaimers about the harmful effects of tobacco use for online curated content platforms.