Italy Levies €7 Million Fine on Philip Morris for Misleading Tobacco Marketing

Italy's competition authority has fined Philip Morris' Italian unit €7 million for misleading marketing of non-combustion tobacco products. Terms like 'smoke-free' misled consumers, including minors, into believing these products were harmless. The investigation, sparked by the Ministry of Health, found these claims unsupported by scientific evidence.

Italy's competition authority has imposed a €7 million fine on Philip Morris' Italian unit for allegedly deceptive marketing practices related to non-combustion tobacco products.

The authority, acting on a complaint from the Ministry of Health, found that terms like 'smoke-free' were misleading consumers, especially minors, by implying these products were harmless or less harmful than traditional cigarettes.

Current scientific evidence does not support the claim that these combustion-free products are less harmful, due to the presence of nicotine, according to the regulator.