President’s call puts spotlight on celebrity endorsements of harmful products

Public health officials are urging stricter regulation of celebrity endorsements for harmful products in light of President Droupadi Murmu's recent appeal to artists to avoid promoting unhealthy substances. The call came amid Maharashtra's legal action against a Vimal Elaichi advertisement featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff.

Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating whether the ad constitutes surrogate advertising for Vimal Pan Masala, a product banned in the state. The FDA has served show-cause notices to the three actors, alleging the ad associates them with a prohibited pan-masala product. This issue also reached the Delhi High Court, which declined to hear a challenge to the FDA's territorial-jurisdiction grounds and referred the petitioner to the appropriate court in Maharashtra.

Public health advocates have long voiced concerns that celebrity endorsements can create socially acceptable imagery for tobacco, areca nut, and other harmful products, especially among young audiences. Oncologists warn of the health consequences associated with tobacco and areca-nut consumption. The debate comes as Bollywood celebrities have faced scrutiny over such endorsements in the past, with actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Akshay Kumar previously associated with pan masala or related product advertisements.

The renewed discussion raises the broader public health question of whether advertising regulations are keeping pace with the influence of celebrity endorsements, particularly for seemingly permissible products that may associate with restricted or harmful items. Experts emphasize the need for clear legal frameworks governing the endorsement and advertising of harmful products, including tobacco and ultra-processed foods.