(a) whether the Government has put a ban on direct or indirect advertisements for all types of tobacco products in the country;
(b) if so, whether the tobacco companies are still making advertisement for their products in different magazines and other mediums of advertisement; and
(c) if so, the action taken/proposed to be taken by the Government against these companies?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE(SHRI GANDHISELVAN)
(a) Section -5 of the “The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of
Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution)
Act, 2003â€(COTPA, 2003) prohibits all forms of advertisement (direct/ indirect) of
cigarettes and other tobacco products.
(b) This Ministry is aware of “The Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2009
notified vide GSR No. 138 (E) dated 27-02-09 by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
which allows the use of brand name or logo, which is also used for cigarettes, tobacco
product. However, as this is in violation of the COTPA, 2003 provision, the Ministry of
Information & Broadcasting has been requested to amend the aforesaid Rules to align the
same with the Statute provision under COTPA, 2003.
(c) States have been directed to set up monitoring/ Steering committees at the State
and District level for looking into specific instances of violation of section 5 of COTPA,
2003. A national level Monitoring/ Steering committee has also been constituted.