The presentation of smoking and drug use on scenes in dramas, movies and content on OTT platforms are endangering the youth, which is a threat to the nation, experts and speakers at an event said on Thursday.
They called for OTT policies to protect public health and morals, prohibit violations of law, strengthen tobacco control laws, and take disciplinary action against individuals and institutions violating existing laws and policies.
They made the observations at a workshop, titled “Necessity and Reality of OTT Policy to Protect Public Health”, organised by MANAS - Association for the Prevention of Drug Abuse at a venue in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi, according to a press release.
MANAS Founding President Arup Ratan Choudhury and public health expert and policy analyst Syed Mahbubul Alam made the opening remarks.
Fahmida Islam, Focal Point of Stop-Bangladesh, and Umme Jannat, Tobacco Control Project Coordinator of MANAS, presented keynotes at the workshop, which was moderated by MANAS communication officer Abu Rayhan.
According to a May 2024 study by MANAS, out of 60 dramas and movies aired in OTT platforms, 28 of the protagonists, 14 of the heroines and eight of the villains featured smoking and drug use scenes.
Recently released Bengali movie “Toofan” has shown smoking scenes more than 60 times through the hero, heroine and main characters.
Arup Ratan said, “All these dramas and movies have clearly violated the Smoking and Tobacco Control Act and the National Broadcasting Code. This kind of presentation of smoking and drugs in the main characters of dramas and movies is endangering the youth, which is a threat to the nation.”
Another study conducted by MANAS observed tobacco control law violations in 15 Hindi movies, nine English movies, 13 Bengali movies and five dramas out of 60 programmes of five OTT channels.
Public health experts opined that tobacco and alcohol companies are behind the inclusion of such scenes of smoking and drugs in dramas, which incite the youth.
Mahbubul Alam said that 14 countries around the world, including India and Nepal, have banned TikTok to address national needs. “In our country too, such media are often promoting anti-social and anti-moral issues along with law violations, which is affecting the youth.
“In order to protect public health and morals and the need of the state, if any app and OTT platform violate the law, they should be banned and prosecuted if necessary.”
Sagufta Sultana, Project Director of Aid Foundation; Aminul Islam Sujan, Technical Adviser of Vital Strategies; Syeda Ananya Rahman, Head of Programmes of WBB Trust; and others also spoke in the closing session.
