NEW DELHI: Even as India has tightened its laws against advertising about tobacco products on television or cinema houses, the United Nations today urged all countries to implement a comprehensive ban on all tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.

In a message on the occasion of World Tobacco Day today, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon said "Tobacco use is one of the top threats to human health, killing half the people who use it. When we reduce people?s exposure to tobacco advertising, we reduce the likelihood that they will start to use tobacco."
 
"I urge all countries to live up to their commitments under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control -- and implement a comprehensive ban on all tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship," he added.

"Banning tobacco promotion saves lives," he concluded.