The Italian regulatory authority believes that terms such as “smoke-free” can mislead consumers into perceiving e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products as harmless or less harmful than cigarettes.
This is behind the large fine, equivalent to just over 70 million SEK, that the company must pay.
Philip Morris' Italian subsidiary does not believe it has done anything wrong. The company will appeal the decision. The company says it follows EU rules and correctly describes products that do not involve combustion.
The company also believes that the decision risks blurring the distinction between combustible cigarettes and smokeless alternatives. This is not what the industry wants. It goes against their view of harm reduction: that products like e-cigs provide harm reduction, writes Tobacco Journal
Source:
Tobacco Journal
