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Plea to check tobacco ads on over-the-top platforms

By City Correspondent

GUWAHATI, Sept 12 - Public health organisations, schools students, teachers and parents in Assam have urged the Central Government to act against tobacco advertisements and glamorisation of tobacco use in OTT (over-the-top) platforms to protect children from exposure to tobacco products.

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), �Tobacco imagery in on-demand streaming content popular among adolescents and young adults in India: implications for global tobacco control� revealed that the OTT platforms are flouting Government regulations on exposure to tobacco imagery.

The study assessed tobacco depictions in 10 television series available via on-demand streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hotstar, Amazon Prime and others.

The study revealed that there is rampant depiction of tobacco use and tobacco brand placement. The shows with tobacco depictions included foreign-produced as well as Indian-produced series and most were rated for viewers below 18 years, thus targeting youth and children.

Many of the series showed tobacco brands as well as close-ups of tobacco products and tobacco usage. None of the series included anti-tobacco static warning messages, anti-tobacco health spots, or audio visual disclaimers about the harmful effects of tobacco use.

The implementing guidelines for Article 13 of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control recommend that parties should prohibit the use of tobacco brands or imagery in entertainment media and require anti-tobacco advertisements.

Section 5 of the India�s Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) imposes a complete ban on tobacco advertising and promotion in any form of media. Section 5 of COTPA is blatantly being violated in the OTT platforms, they said.

The BMJ study was limited to 10 television series but it provides conclusive evidence that the streaming services are completely disregarding India�s high standards for restricting and containing tobacco depictions in the media. It is even the case that movies with tobacco depictions that include the appropriate anti-tobacco disclaimers, spots and messages when shown in cinemas or on cable networks, are made available on the streaming platforms without the anti-tobacco messages.

This is of particular concern because on-demand streaming platforms are becoming increasingly popular in India, especially with the young viewers.

According to sources, MoHFW has recently sent a letter to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology highlighting that the tobacco film rules are applicable on OTT platforms like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hotstar as well, and strict action may be taken for prohibiting the depiction of tobacco use through streaming media in connection with the extant provisions under COTPA, 2003.

Public health experts said, �The streaming media has become a haven for promotion of tobacco use and this extensive promotion is to undermine Government film rules and provisions to discourage tobacco use. We urge the Government to take necessary action to ensure these online streaming platforms are compliant with COTPA, relevant rules and any other applicable laws in order to protect the children from exposure to tobacco products displayed on the OTT platforms.�

A study conducted in New Delhi showed that adolescents aged 12�16 years with high exposure to tobacco depiction in Bollywood films were 2.3 times more likely to have used tobacco compared to adolescents with low exposure.

According to teacher and parent community of Assam, �It is shocking to see the glamorisation of tobacco use in these OTT platforms. It is well established that exposure to tobacco imagery in the media increases the likelihood of tobacco uptake in adolescents and young adults and that this relationship is causal.

Another study conducted by the World Health Organisation and the Union Ministry of Health and Family revealed that 76 per cent of Indian movies show tobacco use and 52.2 per cent of children in India had their first smoke after influenced by depiction of tobacco use in movies.

As per the GATS (Global Adult Tobacco Survey), 14.6 per cent of students between 13 and 15 years of age in India use tobacco. As many as 11 per cent of all male students surveyed were found to be users of smoking or smokeless tobacco, while six per cent of female students used smokeless tobacco and 3.7 per cent smoked tobacco. According to the MoHFW, nearly 37 per cent children in India initiate smoking before the age of 10, and, each day, 5,500 children begin tobacco use and consequently may become addicted.

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