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Context: On World No-Tobacco Day, the Union Health Minister issued OTT (over-the-top) guidelines for the control of tobacco product depiction in online curated content.

Details

The following are the key features of the Union Health Ministry's fresh guidelines for anti-tobacco warnings on OTT platforms:

Health warnings, advertisements, and disclaimers

• Publishers of online curated content that depicts tobacco products or their use will be forced to follow strict criteria.
• These include the display of anti-tobacco health advertisements that last at least thirty seconds at the start and middle of the programme. Furthermore, during the display of tobacco goods or their usage, publishers must post anti-tobacco health warnings as a noticeable static notice at the bottom of the screen.
• In addition, at the beginning and middle of the programme, an audio-visual disclaimer on the dangers of tobacco smoking must be broadcast for at least twenty seconds.

Access to content

• The publisher of the online curated content will have access to the health ads, messages, and disclaimers.

Legibility and language

• The anti-tobacco health warning message must be visible and readable, with black font on a white background, and must include the warnings "Tobacco causes cancer" or "Tobacco kills."
• In addition, the health warning message, health spot, and audio-visual disclaimer must be in the same language as the online curated content.

Display restrictions

• The exhibition of tobacco products or their usage in online curated content that includes the brands of cigarettes or other tobacco products, as well as any type of tobacco product placement, is forbidden.
• Furthermore, the exhibition or usage of tobacco products in promotional materials is prohibited.

Failure to comply with the provisions

• Failure to comply with the provisions outlined may result in action being taken either suo moto or in response to a complaint by an inter-ministerial committee comprised of representatives from the;
  • Ministries of Health and Family Welfare
  • Information and Broadcasting
  • Electronics and Information Technology
• The committee will identify the publisher of the online curated material, and send a notification giving the publisher a sufficient opportunity to explain the failure and require relevant content adjustments.

Some of the steps taken by the government of India to address this issue are:

• The National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), launched in 2007-08, aims to create awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use, implement tobacco control laws, provide cessation services to tobacco users, and monitor tobacco use trends.
• The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA), 2003, which bans smoking in public places, prohibits the advertisement of tobacco products, regulates their packaging and labelling, and prohibits sale to minors.
• The OTT guidelines for the regulation of online depiction of Tobacco Products in online curated content were released on World No Tobacco Day 2023.

World No-Tobacco Day

• World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on 31st May.
• It is a global campaign that aims to raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco growing and consumption on human health, food security and the environment.
• The theme for this year is “We need food, not tobacco”.

Key points to know about tobacco and quitting:

• Tobacco use is one of the leading preventable causes of death and disease worldwide, killing more than 8 million people every year.
• Tobacco use also contributes to many non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.
• Tobacco use imposes a heavy economic burden on individuals, families, communities and countries, as it increases healthcare costs, reduces productivity and hampers development.
• Quitting tobacco is one of the best things that anyone can do for their health and well-being. Quitting tobacco can improve the health of the heart, lungs, blood vessels and other organs, as well as reduce the risk of various cancers and other diseases.
• Quitting tobacco is not easy, as nicotine is a highly addictive substance that causes physical and psychological dependence. Many people who try to quit face various barriers and challenges, such as withdrawal symptoms, cravings, stress, weight gain, social pressure and lack of support.
• It is important to provide effective and accessible cessation services and interventions to help tobacco users quit successfully. These include population-level measures, such as increasing tobacco taxes, implementing smoke-free policies, banning tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and raising public awareness through mass media campaigns

PRACTICE QUESTION Q. What is the main addictive substance in tobacco? A) Nicotine B) Graphite C) Tar D) Carbon monoxide Answer: A Explanation: Tobacco contains the highly addictive stimulant alkaloid nicotine as well as harmala alkaloids. Nicotine acts on the brain and nervous system, causing dependence and withdrawal symptoms.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1928771