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Background
Smokeless tobacco (SLT) is consumed by over 350 million people across 70 countries covering all WHO regions.1 India is a major producer and consumer of SLT products with over 200 million adult users and contributes nearly 80% of SLT-attributable deaths.1 The tobacco industry spends half a billion dollars annually on SLT product promotion.2 Consistent with Article 13 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), India’s Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA) prohibits direct and indirect tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS). Indirect and direct tobacco product promotion in sports is a tobacco industry tactic to circumvent TAPS restrictions.3
The International Cricket Council Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 was hosted by India and officially broadcasted on television channel Star Sports. Ten countries (Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri …