India mandates anti-smoking warnings on streaming platforms

India is requiring streaming platforms to display health warnings at the beginning and middle of content featuring tobacco products, a world first for such content that could inspire other countries.

In India, Section 5 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, prohibits advertising of these products. In 2011, the Indian government had enacted specific rules to restrict the appearance of tobacco products in films and television programmes; these rules were strengthened in 2012, in an effort to denormalise tobacco use.

These rules have proven to be much less well applied with the emergence of streaming platforms such as Netflix or Amazon Prime. Published online in 2020, a study Analysing the content of the ten most popular TV series on these platforms indicated that at least one tobacco product was present in 70 of these series.[1]. Four of these series featured international cigarette brands, strongly suggesting product placements. All ten series in question were foreign productions.

A 30-second visual message at the beginning and middle of the program

Indian authorities have decided to react to this situation. On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, May 31, 2023, they have imposed a health warning to accompany every film, series or program on streaming platforms that contains a scene in which a tobacco product appears.[2]. This health warning, written in black on a white background, must contain messages such as "tobacco kills" or "tobacco causes cancer", in the language of the content broadcast. Lasting thirty seconds, the warning must appear at the beginning and in the middle of the program.

Platforms that violate this new obligation will have to answer to an inter-ministerial committee composed of representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. They will be required to explain themselves and take appropriate measures. They may also be subject to complaints and reports.

A world first in the streaming sector

This type of restrictive measure for online broadcasting giants is a world first, which could inspire many other countries. It demonstrates a better consideration of human health in the digital information sector, to the detriment of commercial activity. The prevention of this type of advertising should be addressed during the next Conference of the Parties (COP 10) of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

On the website of the journal Tobacco Control, the authors of a blog on this subject are calling for studies to be carried out on the impact of these health messages.[3]These studies would help validate the effectiveness of messages to curb smoking behavior.

Keywords: India, streaming platforms, health warning

©Tobacco Free Generation

M.F.

[1] Arora M, Nazar GP, Chugh A, Rawal T, Shrivastava S, Sinha P, Munish VG, Tullu FT, Schotte K, Polansky JR, Glantz S. Tobacco imagery in on-demand streaming content popular among adolescents and young adults in India: implications for global tobacco control. Tob Control. 2021 Jan;30(1):42-48.

[2] OTT platforms to carry anti-tobacco warnings; health ministry amends rules, The Times of India, Published May 31, 2023, Accessed October 16, 2023.

[3] Nawani S, Goel S, India: Mandatory anti-tobacco warnings to feature on over-the-top platforms such as Netflix, Tobacco Control, blog, published October 13, 2023, accessed October 16, 2023.