Display of Smoking and Alcohol Use in OTT Endangers Teenagers
A recent study by MANAS has revealed alarming statistics about the portrayal of smoking and drug use in OTT platforms. Out of 60 dramas and movies analyzed, 28 heroes, 14 heroines, and 8 villains featured smoking and drug use scenes. Notably, the Bengali movie “Toofan” displayed smoking scenes over 60 times through its main characters. This trend blatantly violates the Smoking and Tobacco Control Act and the National Broadcasting Code, posing a significant threat to the nation’s youth.
Experts raised these concerns at a workshop titled “Necessity and Reality of OTT Policy to Protect Public Health,” held 11 July 2024 at the Biliya Center in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. The workshop featured notable speakers including Prof. Dr. ArupRatan Choudhury, Heroic Freedom Fighter and founder president of MANAS; public health expert and policy analyst Ad. Syed Mahbubul Alam; Shagufta Sultana, Project Director of Aid Foundation; Aminul Islam Sujan, Technical Advisor of Vital Strategies; and Syeda Ananya Rahman, Head of Programs at WBB Trust. The opening session included keynotes by Fahmida Islam, Focal Point of Stop-Bangladesh, and Umme Jannat, Tobacco Control Project, Coordinator of MANAS. Md. Abu Raihan, Sr. Project & Communication Officer of MANAS, conducted the workshop.
Ad. Syed Mahbubul Alam highlighted that 14 countries, including India and Nepal, have banned apps like TikTok due to national concerns. He stressed that in Bangladesh, the media often promote anti-social and anti-moral content, violating laws and affecting the youth. To protect public health and morals, he advocated for banning and prosecuting apps and OTT platforms that violate the law.
Prof. Dr. ArupRatan Choudhury emphasized that the depiction of smoking by celebrities in dramas and movies on popular OTT platforms encourages youth to engage in harmful behaviors. He noted that many successful movies in the past did not include smoking scenes, urging directors and producers to abandon the misconception that smoking scenes are necessary for dramatization. He called on artists to uphold their social responsibility by refraining from actions that harm society and respecting the law.
The MANAS study also observed tobacco control law violations in 15 Hindi movies, 9 English movies, 13 Bengali movies, and 5 dramas across 60 programs on 5 OTT channels. Public health experts believe that tobacco and alcohol companies are behind the inclusion of such scenes to incite youth consumption of these harmful substances. In this workshop, 15 Students from the Nursing Department of IUBAT University, who are participants in the OTT program observation survey, and certificates were given to them. DAS, NATAB, Grambangla Unnayan Committee, University of Dhaka, WBB Trust, Bureau of Economic Research (BER), Aid Foundation, and Tobacco Control Research Cell of Dhaka International University representatives participated in the workshop. Speakers at the workshop called for the development and enforcement of OTT policies that prohibit violations of public health and moral standards. They also urged for strengthened tobacco control laws and disciplinary actions against individuals and institutions violating existing laws and policies.
