Following up his campaign against smoking on screen, Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss has asked the information and broadcasting ministry to take action against tobacco and liquor companies indulging in "surrogate" advertising in print, electronic and outdoor media.
In a letter to I&B minister P R Dasmunsi, Ramadoss has said, "companies like Bagpiper soda, McDowells, Johnny Walker soda and Kingfisher mineral waters are using surrogate methods of advertising which need to be stopped," highly-placed sources in the health ministry said. These products have exactly the same brand name and logo which had earlier been there in the liquor ads, the letter said. "The companies are thus trying to bypass the advertisement ban on liquor products already in place," they said.
The surrogates used by these advertisements ranged from audio cassettes, CDs and perfumes to golf accessories and mineral water. PTI
