NEW DELHI: The directorate general of health services (DGHS) demanded the Indian premier league (IPL) chairperson Arun Singh Dhumal to regulate advertisements for tobacco and alcohol. The regulations would also include surrogate promotions and sales, during the upcoming IPL season which is set to begin on 22nd March 2025.
In the letter, DGHS head Atul Goyal raised concerns over India’s alarming burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic lung disease, diabetes, and hypertension conditions. He pointed out that tobacco and alcohol are major factors behind NCDs that collectively account for over 70 per cent of annual deaths in the country.
The DGHS put forward three key demands:
- A complete ban on all forms of tobacco and alcohol advertising, including surrogate advertisements, within the stadium premises where the games and related IPL games/events are held as well as during telecast sessions on national television.
- Prohibition of tobacco and alcohol sales at all IPL-affiliated events and sports facilities.
- A discouraging promotion of sportspersons and commentators who directly or indirectly endorse brands associated with tobacco or alcohol.
The director said that tobacco use is responsible for almost 14 lakh deaths each year, making India the second-highest in tobacco-related fatalities globally. Meanwhile, alcohol remains the most commonly used psychoactive substance in the country.
Goyal stressed that IPL, being India’s most viewed sports event, any form of direct or indirect promotion of tobacco and alcohol would influence and send a “contradictory message to the public about health and fitness.”
“Cricket players are role models for youngsters for promoting a healthy, active lifestyle.”
He also said, as the country’s largest sports platform, the IPL has a social and moral responsibility to promote public health and support the government’s health initiatives.
