In a recent joint session between SATRA (the Iranian organization regulating online audio-visual media) and the Iranian Anti-Tobacco Association, regulatory officials reaffirmed their commitment to stricter enforcement against the depiction of tobacco use in home video content. SATRA’s Deputy of Legal and Regulatory Affairs emphasized the organization’s legal and technical monitoring efforts, including support for judicial complaints filed by the Anti-Tobacco Association
The session addressed the inadequacy of current deterrent penalties and proposed legal revisions to better align with the severity of tobacco-related violations. Officials highlighted the necessity of collaborative efforts among .SATRA, the judiciary, media prosecutors, and civil society organizations
Furthermore, the Association’s Secretary-General stressed the importance of preventative strategies beyond financial penalties, including a complete ban on tobacco imagery in home media productions and the integration of short anti-smoking educational clips (pre/mid/post-roll). He also called for deeper scientific research into how media portrayals influence tobacco consumption patterns
