The Centre on Wednesday warned of stern action against companies, advertisers and broadcasters for promoting prohibited products through surrogate advertisements.

“It has been observed that many alcoholic spirits and beverages are being advertised under the garb of music CDs, club soda and packaged drinking water whereas [advertisements for tobacco and gutkha have] taken the veil of fennel and cardamom,” the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said in a press release.

The ministry also noted that many brands are roping in celebrities to endorse these products and that this “accentuates the negative impact on the impressionable youth amongst others”.

The government referred to a Delhi High Court judgement that had directed the TV Today Network to run a 10-second apology every hour between 8 am and 8 pm on February 16 and 17, 2021, for violating the Advertisement Code.

Meanwhile, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh on Wednesday wrote a letter to International Spirits and Wines Association of India chief Nita Kapoor, asking her to comply with the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsement for Misleading Advertisements, 2022, The Indian Express reported.

The rules were issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority in June. The rules state that “no surrogate advertisement or indirect advertisement shall be made for goods or services whose advertising is otherwise prohibited or restricted by law”.

The consumer affairs secretary stated that the guidelines do not apply only to advertisement associations and agencies, but are also applicable to manufacturers, service providers and traders of such products.