No Tobacco Warning: Smoking or tobacco is injurious to health. You must have often seen warnings written in small letters along with showing smoking scenes in theaters and TV, but still people are not becoming aware. Today the whole world is celebrating World No Tobacco Day. On this occasion, the Union Health Ministry has notified new rules for anti-tobacco warnings on OTT platforms.

Warning against tobacco mandatory on OTT notified amended rules under the Tobacco Products Act, 2004 and It has been made mandatory for OTT (Over the Top) programs to issue warnings against tobacco, just like films and TV programs in theatres. As per the notification, while showing tobacco products or their use in online content, broadcasters shall at least at the beginning and middle of the program health warnings against tobacco will have to be issued up to sec.

An audio-visual disclaimer of 1 second must also be shown When tobacco products or their use are shown during the programme, it shall be mandatory to display an anti-tobacco health warning as a message at the bottom of the screen during the program. According to a PTI-language report, at least on the ill-effects of tobacco use at the beginning and middle of the program An audio-visual disclaimer of 2 seconds will also have to be shown.

WARNING SHOULD BE CLEAR AND LEGIBLE

The notification states- The anti-tobacco health warning message referred to in clause (b) shall display the warning ‘tobacco causes cancer’ or ‘tobacco kills’ in black text on a white background which shall be legible and legible. In addition, anti-tobacco health warning messages and audio-visual disclaimers should be in the same language as that used in online content.

This decision has been taken after due consideration

Display of tobacco products in content created online or They must not be used as a means of displaying the brand of cigarettes or other tobacco products, or for promoting tobacco products in any form, and for their use in tobacco product displays or promotional materials. According to a senior ministry official, the decision was taken after consultations with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and other stakeholders.

Union Health Ministry has notified new rules for anti-tobacco warnings on OTT platforms. This notification mandates OTT platforms to carry anti-tobacco warning messages. If the publisher of online content fails to comply with new rules, the Union Health Ministry and the Ministry… pic.twitter.com/YbDptUNXvs

— ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2023 OTTNo Tobacco DayPublished Date

Wed, May 31, 2023, 1: 55 PM IST