Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan recently signed on to be the newest spokesperson of Pan Bahar, an Indian pan masala brand.
Pan masala or “paan masala” is a mixture consisting of areca nut and spices that’s generally chewed with tobacco and/or betel leaves. According to The Washington Post, the concoction has a government-mandated warning that tells consumers that it’s “injurious to health;” it’s also worth noting that the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer says that the areca nut is carcinogenic to humans.
Brosnan appears in an ad campaign for the product that includes a video depicting him as an action star who is aided by a can of pan masala; the campaign however, has received backlash online for the suave endorsement of a product that is associated with health risks.
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Write to Cady Lang at cady.lang@timemagazine.com