REVIEW article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health Education and Promotion
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1531268
Leveraging Celebrity Influence for Oral Cancer Prevention and Smokeless Tobacco Cessation: Challenges and Opportunities in India
Provisionally accepted
Saravanan Sekaran1*
Dhanraj Ganapathy1
Deepavalli Arumuganainar1
Vimalraj S1
Saeed Alassiri2
Shahabe Abullais Saquib3- 1Saveetha Dental College And Hospitals, Chennai, India
- 2Department of Diagnostic Sciences and Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
- 3Department of Periodontics and Community Dental Science, King Khalid University, College of Dentistry, Abha, Saudi Arabia, Abha, Saudi Arabia
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India bears the highest global burden of oral cancer, with over 83,400 cases reported in 2022.The widespread use of smokeless tobacco and areca nut, particularly in rural and underserved communities, continues to drive this public health crisis. Despite government regulations and awareness campaigns, tobacco consumption remains high due to cultural acceptance, affordability, and accessibility of products like gutkha and khaini. This review examines the role of celebrity endorsements in tobacco cessation efforts, assessing their influence on public perception and behavior. Bollywood actors and sports icons, who hold immense cultural influence in India, have been leveraged in health campaigns to promote tobacco-free lifestyles.While some celebrity-driven initiatives have successfully raised awareness, surrogate marketing remains a critical challenge. Many celebrities indirectly endorse harmful products like pan masala and mouth fresheners, undermining tobacco control efforts. To counter this, stricter policies are needed to regulate celebrity endorsements, ensuring alignment with public health goals. This review highlights key strategies for maximizing the impact of celebrity-led health campaigns while minimizing the risks posed by surrogate marketing. By fostering sustained celebrity engagement and implementing robust policy measures, India can take significant steps toward reducing smokeless tobacco use and preventing oral cancer.
Keywords: oral cancer, smokeless tobacco, Celebrity influence, public health campaigns, Surrogate marketing, Health advocacy
Received: 20 Nov 2024; Accepted: 11 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Sekaran, Ganapathy, Arumuganainar, S, Alassiri and Saquib. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Saravanan Sekaran, Saveetha Dental College And Hospitals, Chennai, India
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.