Stop Tobacco Brands' Promotion In Filmfare Awards Ceremony: Delhi Govt Official To Centre
A senior official of the Delhi government has written to the Union Health Ministry, the Maharashtra public health department and the organisers of the Filmfare Awards to "stop the advertisement".
A
senior
official
of
the
Delhi
government
has
written
to
the
Union
Health
Ministry,
the
Maharashtra
public
health
department
and
the
organisers
of
the
Filmfare
Awards
to
"stop
the
advertisement,
promotion
and
sponsorships" of
tobacco
brands
in
the
64th
edition
of
the
awards
to
be
held
this
Saturday
in
Mumbai.
Additional
Director
in
Delhi
Health
Department
Dr
S
K
Arora,
who
was
earlier
heading
Delhi
State
Tobacco
Control
cell,
wrote
the
letters
in
his
personal
capacity
saying
such
kind
of
advertisements
and
promotions
were
violation
of
COTPA
(Cigarette
and
Other
Tobacco
Products
Act)
and
the
Food
Safety
and
Standard
Act.
"The
main
sponsor
of
the
64th
Film
Fare
Award
Ceremony
is
the
leading
brand
of
tobaccos.
The
advertisements
for
the
same
are
going
on
in
various
medias
through
out
India," he
said.
He
further
said
that
timely
action
can
save
lakhs
of
people
especially
the
youngsters
from
getting
influenced
from
such
advertisements
of
tobaccos
and
hence
can
be
saved
from
the
menace.
"I
feel
disappointed
that
in
spite
of
lodging
a
complaint
for
tobacco
promotion/sponsorship
in
5th
ODI
India
vs
Australia
in
Kotla
ground
of
Delhi
one
week
before
the
scheduled
match
date
(March
13,
2019),
the
violation
could
not
be
prevented
and
the
match
was
played
with
huge
advertisement/promotion/
sponsorship
of
tobacco
brands
which
violated
both
the
COTPA
and
Food
Safety
Standard
Act
of
Govt
of
India," Arora
said.
The
undersigned
interacted
with
the
president
and
the
CEO
of
Delhi
and
District
Cricket
Association
(DDCA)
repeatedly
and
tried
to
convince
them
about
the
violation
on
legal
ground
and
their
responsibility
towards
society
especially
youngsters
on
moral
grounds,
but
all
went
in
vain,
he
said
in
his
letter.
The
letter
further
states
that
the
World
Health
Organisation
has
also
recently
urged
governments
of
all
countries
to
enforce
bans
on
tobacco
advertising,
promotion
and
sponsorship
at
sporting
events
and
others.
He
has
requested
for
an
early
action
to
prevent
this
violation
on
legal
ground
and
in
public
health
interest.