When the advertisement which featured former James Bond, Pierce Brosnan promoting a pan masala hit the Indian market recently, the instant response was simmering discontent reflecting through spoof. But moving beyond the storm the advertisement kicked, a renowned Indian cancer surgeon working for the country’s premier cancer research institute, wrote a hard-hitting letter to the celebrity.
The letter was picked up by the Wall Street Journal which questioned the actor’s PR agency on the basis of it. We know how Brosnan apologised for his endorsement later. Now, the same cancer surgeon wants the mainstream Hindi film actors and celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Priyanka Chopra to stop endorsing carcinogens and take a stand against them.
“At least Pierce Brosnan is a good man and he showed the sensitivity to apologise. Within 24 hours of my writing an open letter to him, he came out with an apology. He said he did not know that he was promoting a carcinogen (arecanut). But what about our celebrities? They are so shameless that they don’t even want to take a stand against such public health dangers. Why do they endorse such products which are known and acknowledged Group One carcinogens?” asked Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, a renowned cancer surgeon who spearheads the anti-tobacco campaign. He works at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, which is one of South Asia’s premier institutions treating cancer.
“Will our actors display their social responsibility? Will they take a stand against the hazard to public health? If not, will they give their children the carcinogens they endorse? Actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Govinda, Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn endorse these brands promoting arecanut,” he said further.
Dr Pankaj is instrumental in mobilising the anti-tobacco campaign in the country, and has made valuable contributions to the legislations in the matter till date. “There is frustration among us doctors that despite several independent international organisations’ research that arecanut is a Group One carcinogen, there is no legislation in the matter as yet. There is no single government publication, too, which denies this. Despite this fact, the arecanut industry continues to produce this pan masala. They give the pretext of lack of legislation in the field. But they shy away from their responsibility towards the society. This is an ethical issue,” he said.
He appealed to the celebrities to be aware of the products they endorse. “I don’t say they should ask a qualified doctor. But even a basic Google search will tell them. Arecanut causes cancer. Pan masala is harmful. In fact, its sale is even banned in Maharashtra and Bihar. Aren’t the celebrities indulging in criminal activity by promoting it then? For how long can they act as if they don’t know what product they are promoting?” he asked. He said that though the pan masala producing industries are hiding behind the lack of legislation by the government, he wanted to know why they were selling pan masala after advertising for elaichi.
He asked if the industry could produce even one paper which said that pan masala and arecanut did not cause cancer.
“Isn’t it the manufaturer’s responsibility to share hazards of their product with consumers? Do they know that arecanut causes cancer? Do they know that several Indian food labs have found pan masala to be carcinogenic? What is the logic of selling a mouth freshener through high pitch advertisement that carries a statutory warning that it is harmful? Why are the statutory warnings on their product and their ads unreadable? Why have the Maharashtra, Bihar governments banned pan masla without tobacco and it has not been stayed by court? Why are they not contesting the report submitted by the Ministry of Health in the Supreme Court that arecanut is carcinogenic?” he wants the industry to answer.
When Dr Pankaj wrote the disturbing and concise open letter to Pierce Brosnan, he asked him several probing questions, including reasons for promoting oral cancer. Appealing to him about his personal experience while dealing with the cancer of his partner, he reminded the actor of his responsibility towards the young generation too. “You are well known for taking up issues related to the well being of children. Do you know that Pan Masala is very popular in youngsters because of its cheapness, packaging, ease of access, shrewd marketing etc? This leads to a condition called Lock Jaw or submucous fibrosis wherein children have burning sensation in their mouth and inability to open the mouth. Many of them turn into cancer after five to seven years of hellish life,” his letter stated. He now feels that it is time for Hindi mainstream actors to come clean on it.