Centre notifies new rules for OTT platforms on anti-tobacco warnings

The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday notified new rules for anti-tobacco warnings on the OTT platforms. As per the latest notification, OTT platforms need to carry anti-tobacco warning messages.

The Union Health Ministry and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will take stern action if the publisher of online content fails to comply with new rules.

The new rules will be called the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Amendment Rules, 2023.

In the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Rules, 2014, after Rule 10, the following rule shall be inserted, namely.-

Health spots, messages and disclaimer in online curated contents of tobacco products by publisher. Every publisher of online curated contents displaying tobacco products or their use shall-

(a)    display anti-tobacco health spots, of minimum thirty seconds duration each at the beginning and middle of the programme.

(b)     display anti-tobacco health warning as a prominent static message at the bottom of the screen during the period of display of the tobacco products or their use in the programme.

(c)    display an audio-visual disclaimer on the ill effects of tobacco use, of minimum twenty seconds duration each, in the beginning and middle of the programme.

The anti-tobacco health warning specified in clause (b) and sub-Rule (1) shall be legible and readable , with font black colour on white background and with warnings ‘Tobacco causes cancer’ or ‘Tobacco kills’.

The anti-tobacco health warning message, health spot and audio-visual disclaimer, shall be in the same language  as used in the online curated content.
The display of tobacco products or their use in online curated content shall not extend to-

(a)    display of the brands of cigarettes or other tobacco products or any form of tobacco product placement

(b)    display of tobacco products or their use in promotional materials