In India, scenes depicting smoking on television or in advertisements may now result in penal punishment.

To make the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition) Act of 2003 more effective, the union government on Monday constituted a steering committee headed by secretary health Naresh Dayal to enforce section 5 of the act. Officials said the committee will decide on the cases referred to it and will also have powers to take suo-motto cognisance of any violation of section 5. Earlier, the health ministry's decision to ban smoking in films had hit a roadblock with first the I and B ministry opposing the move and then film maker Mahesh Bhatt moving Delhi high court against the move.
Thereafter, the government submitted a proposal in the high court stating that films showing smoking scenes should be certified as 'A'—only for adult viewing. The court has not decided on the issue so far.
With the constitution of the steering committee, the government has tried to make use of section 5 to check promotion of smoking. Section 5 prohibits any sort of promotion of smoking that results in increase in cigarette sales in any form. (pi)