James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan was in a bit of a soup recently following an ad he did in India. The company behind Paan masala brand, Pan Bahar, Ashok & Co. hired him to advertise their product back in October 2016. What they failed to do though was provide full disclosure that this product contained tobacco and was harmful to health. This has been an ongoing cause for concern considering The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Product Act, 2003 bans direct and indirect advertisements of tobacco products.
The former James Bond said that he had been “cheated” and that his image was used and the advertisement was aired even after he raised a complaint. Pan Bahar is basically gutka, which has a mix of tobacco, betel nut, and spices. It is highly addictive and has been linked to cancer. But the company told Brosnan that it was a mouth freshener with no tobacco or any other harmful ingredients.
Additional Director (Health) SK Arora said,
In a written reply to the Delhi State Tobacco Control Cell, the actor stated that he was cheated by the company as the latter did not disclose the hazardous nature of the product and other terms and conditions of the contract of advertisement
Brosnan also promised that all associations were dropped and he went on to say,
Having endured, in my own personal life, the loss of my first wife and daughter as well as numerous friends to cancer, I am fully committed to supporting women’s healthcare and research programs that improve human health and alleviate suffering.
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