<p>Activists on Tuesday opposed a recent proposal to do away with the static mandatory anti-tobacco message shown in movies and television serials when smoking scenes appear on the screen.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The suggestion came from a panel of experts headed by eminent filmmaker Shyam Benegal, whose advice was to show the anti-tobacco messages at the beginning of a film as a part of the title credit.<br /><br />The reasoning given by the committee was that static warning messages like ‘Smoking Kills’ that appear simultaneously with scenes depicting tobacco use hinder the flow of the film. <br /><br />This has been opposed by health workers who said any dilution of the existing norms would be damaging from a public health perspective. <br /><br />“The mandatory anti-tobacco health spots and disclaimers help to convey a clear message about the ill-effects of tobacco use to the audience. The simultaneous display of a warning along with the act of tobacco use or smoking during a scene helps counter the pernicious promotion of tobacco use,” Hriday, an NGO which campaigns against tobacco, stated. <br /><br />The panel has submitted its report to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which is yet to take a decision.<br /></p>
<p>Activists on Tuesday opposed a recent proposal to do away with the static mandatory anti-tobacco message shown in movies and television serials when smoking scenes appear on the screen.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The suggestion came from a panel of experts headed by eminent filmmaker Shyam Benegal, whose advice was to show the anti-tobacco messages at the beginning of a film as a part of the title credit.<br /><br />The reasoning given by the committee was that static warning messages like ‘Smoking Kills’ that appear simultaneously with scenes depicting tobacco use hinder the flow of the film. <br /><br />This has been opposed by health workers who said any dilution of the existing norms would be damaging from a public health perspective. <br /><br />“The mandatory anti-tobacco health spots and disclaimers help to convey a clear message about the ill-effects of tobacco use to the audience. The simultaneous display of a warning along with the act of tobacco use or smoking during a scene helps counter the pernicious promotion of tobacco use,” Hriday, an NGO which campaigns against tobacco, stated. <br /><br />The panel has submitted its report to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which is yet to take a decision.<br /></p>