CBFC Certification: ‘Say No to Drugs’ warning made part of Centre’s film certification guidelines

Anti-Drug Warning Now Required in Films Showing Narcotics Use

Theindiapostdaily.com – Films that portray the consumption, use or trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances must now display a compulsory anti-drug warning as part of India’s updated film certification framework. The change was notified by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on September 16, 2026, under the Cinematograph Act.

The measure adds a specific screen-message requirement to the principles followed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) while assessing movies intended for public exhibition. It applies when a film contains scenes involving narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances.

“Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment. Say No to Drugs.”

This is the exact warning prescribed under the revised guidelines. Its inclusion means that drug-related depictions in certified films will carry a visible cautionary message rather than being considered only through the broader standards applied during certification.

A More Specific Requirement for Drug-Related Scenes

Earlier CBFC guidelines already directed the board to prevent scenes that encouraged, defended or glamorised drug addiction. However, those provisions did not mandate a standard on-screen warning. The latest amendment introduces that additional requirement for relevant scenes.

The update reflects a wider policy approach already extended to other visual entertainment platforms. Last month, the ministry instructed OTT services to prominently show the same anti-drug caution when content depicts narcotics consumption or use. Private satellite television channels also received a similar advisory.

For viewers, the new requirement is intended to make the health and legal consequences of illicit drug use explicit whenever such material appears in a film. The warning does not replace the CBFC’s wider responsibility to examine how substance use is presented. Scenes that appear to promote, justify or romanticise addiction remain subject to the certification principles.

How the Certification Guidelines Work

The CBFC guidelines establish the standards used to examine films before they are publicly exhibited under the Cinematograph Act. They cover more than drug-related content and require the board to consider whether a film treats harmful or unlawful conduct in a manner that could create concern.

Among the principles, the board must ensure that anti-social acts, including violence, are not glorified or presented as justified. It must also consider depictions of criminal techniques that may be likely to encourage offences. Content involving cruelty, sexual material, violence and issues with possible implications for public order also falls within the scope of the guidelines.

The framework further addresses material that may affect the security of the State or India’s relations with foreign countries. It also contains provisions relating to contempt of court and the portrayal of national symbols and emblems.

The guidelines state that scenes likely to create scorn, disgrace or disregard for rules, or that diminish the dignity of a court, fall within the meaning of contempt of court. National symbols and emblems are not to be shown except in compliance with the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950.

Recent Changes to the Film Classification System

The anti-drug message is one of two major recent additions to the certification guidelines. The previous amendment, made in 2024, formally incorporated three age-based parental guidance classifications: U/A 7+, U/A 13+ and U/A 16+.

These classifications were introduced after amendments to the Cinematograph Act in 2023. They advise parental guidance for viewers below the ages of seven, 13 and 16, depending on the category assigned to a film.

The age-based categories give audiences more information about the suitability of content for children and younger teenagers. The drug-related warning introduces a separate, content-specific safeguard by requiring a fixed public-health and legal caution where narcotics are shown.

Film certification in India has continued to be governed by the CBFC Certification Guidelines issued in 1991 for the past 35 years. The latest revisions retain the broader principles of the earlier framework while adding more detailed requirements for particular types of content.

New CBFC Board Reconstituted

The policy change comes shortly after the Centre reconstituted the CBFC. The new board has 18 members and is headed by chairperson Shashi Shekhar Vempati.

Its members include actors Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty, Pallavi Joshi and Prosenjit Chatterjee. Filmmaker Priyadarshan and Grammy-winning musician Ricky Kej are also part of the reconstituted board.

The board has been appointed for three years, or until further orders, whichever comes first. As the body responsible for implementing the certification framework, the CBFC will apply the updated rules when examining films that contain depictions of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances.

The new warning requirement adds a clear compliance point for filmmakers whose work includes such scenes. Alongside the existing scrutiny of whether substance use is glamorised or justified, films will now need to communicate the prescribed anti-drug message to audiences.