NGO urges Health Ministry to regulate depiction of tobacco products on OTT platforms

New Delhi [India], September 8 (ANI): National Organization for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE-India) on Thursday urged Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to regulate the depiction of tobacco products on OTT platforms to save the young generation from tobacco addiction.
In a letter to Union Health Minister, Dr Shekhar Salkar, president NOTE-India stated that as per the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2019, nearly one-fifth of the students aged 13-15 have used tobacco in some form.
COTPA Rules have been notified to regulate the depiction of tobacco imagery in Films and TV Programmes. Though the COTPA Rules are fairly well implemented by cinema theatre owners and broadcasters of television programmes, however, they are not applicable to the films/series that are shown/streamed on Over the Top (OTT) platforms.
Refering to a study, Salkar said, there is a rampant depiction of tobacco use in series on OTT platforms and most were rated for viewers below 18 years, thus targeting youth and children.
"To save youth from the menace of tobacco, India must close the regulatory gap in OTT media and ideally extend its film rule to OTT with effective enforcement without further delay," he said.
NOTE is an Indian federation of 20 non-governmental organisations, founded in 1992. (ANI)