ROME (Reuters) -Italy’s antitrust regulator said on Wednesday it had opened an investigation into Philip Morris Italia for alleged unfair commercial practices for its smokeless tobacco products.
The tobacco giant allegedly promoted them in an incorrect way, using expressions like ‘smoke-free’, and slogans such as ‘a future without smoke’, the authority said in a statement.
“These expressions may be unclear and misleading for consumers, as they refer to products that, despite the absence of combustion, are not free from potential harmful health effects, nor are they less harmful than others, and may cause addiction,” the watchdog said.
It added that it had carried out inspections at the group’s offices and at a manufacturing site in the central city of Bologna.
Philip Morris said in an emailed statement that it had always acted in compliance with the applicable regulations, adding “communication is factual, truthful, and fully consistent with Italian and European legislation, which associates the absence of smoke with the absence of combustion.”
The company also said it would continue to cooperate with the regulator throughout the proceedings “to demonstrate the full legitimacy of its actions”.
The group offers a growing range of smoke-free products, which provide nicotine without burning, as an alternative to traditional cigarettes.
These include heated tobacco products such as IQOS, e-vapor ones like Veed and nicotine pouches and snus like Zyn.
“A smoke-free future has been the main global objective of Philip Morris International for the last ten years – a goal that its Italian affiliates have been working towards for years, including the supply chain involving 44,000 people,” the statement added.
(Reporting by Giulia Segreti, editing by Gianluca Semeraro, Kirsten Donovan)
