he blanket ban on tobacco advertising came into effect on May 1. The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 2003 also prohibits smoking in public places and imposes many other restrictions. While the anti-tobacco lobby is celebrating, there is some gloom in the advertising and media business.

Going by TAM Media Research, tobacco accounted for Rs 350 crore worth of advertising in 2003, making it among the top 25 spenders in India. Of this, Rs 240 crore went into television and print (TV: 68 per cent; print: 32 per cent), an increase of Rs 40 crore over 2002. The estimated spend on outdoor was Rs 110 crore. ... more