The union health ministry is reportedly planning to direct the Board of Control For Cricket in India (BCCI) to remove all the hoardings and advertisements of pan masala, gutka, and tobacco products from cricket stadiums.

These advertisements include all surrogate ads by gutka companies and those which are endorsed by Bollywood stars and former cricketers. In the surrogate ads made by gutka companies, former cricketers like Chris Gayle, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, and Virender Sehwag could be seen endorsing ‘elaichi’ mouth fresheners.

As per a report the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), which comes under the health ministry, will ask BCCI to stop showing surrogate advertisements of tobacco products.

“Cricket matches are widely popular among the young population. There have been multiple instances wherein surrogate smokeless tobacco ads are being displayed during cricket matches and celebrity endorsements happening. This tends to indirectly attract the youths. The health ministry’s DGHS may communicate to the BCCI urging them to stop showing tobacco-related ads in any form,” an official told Live Mint.

Meanwhile, a study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Vital Strategies, which was published in the British Medical Journal in May, 41.3% of all surrogate ads of smokeless tobacco (SLT) brands in 2023 were displayed during the last 17 matches of the ODI World Cup.

Notably, the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi has made a bad name for itself because of the sea of tobacco products hoardings placed within the stadium.