Wednesday, June 1 2005 11:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Government yesterday (May 31, 2005) announced a ban on smoking scenes in films and television from August 2005 and set up a high-level committee to handle surrogate advertising.

"Government has notified additional rules that ban screening of tobacco products by characters in movies or television. The notification comes into effect from August 1, 2005," Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Bhawani Tyagarajan told reporters in New Delhi on "World No-Tobacco Day."

For movies and television serials already made, the six provisions, introduced in the existing laws, require mandatory display or prominent scroll containing health warning when use of tobacco products is shown in them, she said.

The new provisions ban sale of tobacco products by minors and through vending machines and also makes it mandatory to display details of tar and nicotine content on all tobacco products, she said.