Cricket Australia withdraws Hindi advertisement
Facing heavy fine for alleged promotion of tobacco, Cricket Australia has withdrawn a Hindi advertisement from the ongoing tri-series.
An Indian brand of mouthwash featured on the boundary ropes during the four-Test series, two Twenty20 Internationals and the first tri-series match between India an Australia.
An anti-smoking lobby and the federal health department of the country drew CA's attention towards the advertisement, which they believed promoted tobacco though it is meant for a mouthwash brand.
Peter Young, Cricket Australia's general manager for public affairs, said they understood the similarity in the name of the mouthwash product and tobacco, thus withdrew it. "It appears that there is a tobacco company with the same or similar brand name to the product that is being advertised. We have just become uneasy about it and said, 'let's withdraw this," Young was quoted as saying by Australian media.
"It's better to be safe than sorry," he added. Cricket Australia could face fines of up to USD 66,000 for each breach of the 1992 tobacco advertising ban. Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said her department was investigating. "I think taking (the advertising) down is the right thing to do," she said.
