Government Of India Puts 'John Terry' On Anti-Smoking Adverts

In a bizarre incident of sorts, the Chelsea skipper allegedly finds himself on cigarette packets in India... 

Do you think its John Terry?

John Terry finds himself at the centre of yet another controversy after a hazy image of his face was part of the anti-smoking pictorial warnings designed by India’s Directorate of Visual Publicity (DAVP) and approved by the Health Ministry for use on cigarette packets in the country.

The England captain is already hogging the headlines for the wrong reasons as he faces criminal charges for allegedly racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand.


DAVP additional director-general K S Dhatwalia acknowledged that the Chelsea skipper’s picture had been used but was clueless as to how his image was used in the first place.

“We sent the creative to the health ministry and they then cleared and circulated it. But how Terry’s picture got to be used is not clear. I am trying to find out,” Dhatwalia told the Indian Express.

Meanwhile, an official from the Health Ministry who did not wished to be named suggested that the picture in question’s resemblance to that of Terry was brought to their notice but they had clarified on their part that “it had nothing to do with Terry.”

“We realised there was some confusion about one of the warnings and we immediately issued a clarification in November. The creative came to us from DAVP and we released it after due clearances. We are not responsible for pictures that may have been used by DAVP and cannot say whether it is the footballer,” the Health Ministry official was quoted saying.

ITC, who several cigarette brands in India, distanced themselves from the hullabaloo stating that they were merely following the guidelines “prescribed by the Government of India”; something which the entire tobacco industry in the nation have to adhere.

Amidst all the blame game, Keith Cousins of Elite Management, who manage Terry’s account, has warned the concerned parties of a legal action.

“We have reviewed this matter with our client and have today instructed solicitors to take appropriate action.”