Metro station ads under fire

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The display of advertisements by leading tobacco brands in the country is a common sight at Metro stations. However, if it can have a devastating effect on someone’s health is still questionable. According to a study by Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth (HRIDAY), tobacco use was found to be higher by 12 per cent in children who were exposed to tobacco ads. Following which the organisation recently wrote to DMRC urging them to remove all the indirect/surrogate advertisements of tobacco products from Metro stations and feeder buses.
According to the NGO, “HRIDAY’s office had been inundated with calls and messages from commuters of Delhi Metro and many concerned citizens voicing their concern regarding the display of indirect/surrogate advertisements of tobacco products at various Delhi Metro stations and feeder buses.”
And it isn’t just the passengers who are complaining; putting up these advertisements is also a violation of Section 5 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003 that prohibits any form of direct or indirect advertising of tobacco products.
When contacted, DMRC officials said, “The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation follows the guidelines set by the Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, regarding the display of advertisements in its premises. Surrogate advertisements are allowed only if the requests are accompanied by an NOC from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. However, DMRC prohibits the display of information or graphics or any other material relating to alcohol and tobacco products.”
And many passengers said a move like this wouldn’t be of much help considering the number of small kiosks selling tobacco products in the city. “It’s peer pressure and easy availability that makes all the difference. You are tempted to buy when you see your friends smoking or others smoking in public. A lot depends on the ‘cool quotient’ of holding a cigarette,” says Dr Asha Kumar, a gynecologist.