By Dr. BPS Tyagi NEW DELHI: Come October 2, directors and producers of all new films will have to show “strong editorial justification” to Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for using smoking scenes in movies and TV programmes before it is cleared for public viewing. In case of both old and new films, a 30–second anti–tobacco health spot has to be mandatorily played before and in the middle of the film, if it shows a smoking scene. There also has to be a 20–second audio visual disclaimer prepared by the Union health ministry, which will also have to be shown by the movie theatre owners at the beginning and in the middle of the screening. In all new films, a static anti–tobacco message will also have to flash during a smoking scene. These are the final provisions that have been finalized by the ministry of health and information and broadcasting on the portrayal of smoking in films. The ministry of law vetted these proposals and cleared them for a final notification on Tuesday. The S preme Court will be informed of these provisions on Thursday by the health ministry. “We will send these final notification for printing in the official gazette on Thursday,” a ministry official told TOI.
A study, conducted by World Health Organization (WHO) and health ministry, had revealed that 76% of Indian movies had tobacco use shown in them, and 52.2% of children in India, who had their first smoke were influenced by tobacco use depicted in films. Anti tobacco organization HRIDAY says depiction of smoking scenes in films is a matter of grave concern as studies show a strong association between teenage smoking and portrayal of smoking in films. A study conducted by it had found that students who are highly exposed to tobacco use occurrences in movies have more than twice the risk of being a tobacco user as compared to those with low exposure. India is the world’s largest producer of movies, with more than 1,000 films being made in several languages annually. Another study, conducted by WHO and health ministry, had revealed that 76% of Indian movies showed tobacco use.
In India, 2,500 people die daily due to tobacco use. About 250 million people across the country use tobacco products like gutka, cigarettes and bidis. The health ministry says 40% of health problems stems from tobacco use. Tobacco will be responsible for 13% of all deaths in India. Studies suggest that more than 38.4 million bidi and 13.2 million cigarette smokers may die prematurely because of their addiction. Only 2% of Indian smokers quit successfully. One of the major influences on the uptake of teen tobacco use is the glamorization of tobacco use in movies and on TV.
Backed by evidence that smoking in movies causes youths to want to light up, WHO asked countries to enact enforceable policies that would severely restrict such depictions. WHO had recommended that all movies with scenes of smoking should be given an adult rating, with the possible exception of movies that reflect the dangers of tobacco use or that depict smoking by a historical figure, who was a smoker. Studies show that smoking continues to permeate movies, including those rated as suitable for youth. “Voluntary agreements to limit smoking in movies have not and cannot work,” WHO had said. It added, “Logic and science now support enforceable policies to severely restrict smoking imagery in all film media.”
Studies show that smoking in movies misleads youths into thinking that tobacco use is normal, acceptable, socially beneficial and more common that it really is. Studies also show that such movies rarely portray the harm of tobacco, instead portraying the product as conducive of a cool and glamorous lifestyle. Dr Douglas Bettcher, director of WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative, had said, “The more smoking adolescents see on screen, the more likely they are to start smoking. These simple policies can save generations of young people from a lifetime of addiction and an early death from tobacco.” The WHO report also recommends that movie studios should certify that they received no payoffs from tobacco companies to display tobacco products or their use, stop displaying tobacco brands onscreen and require strong anti–tobacco advertisements before all movies that have tobacco imagery.