Pursued by two tobacco combations for its heated tobacco device IQOS, the French subsidiary of the cigarettier was sentenced by the Criminal Court of Paris.
Le Monde with AFP
The lobbying of the largest cigaretier on the planet to promote its alternatives to cigarette has made long fire. The French subsidiary of the Philip Morris cigaretier was sentenced on Friday, December 3, by the Criminal Court of Paris to pay 75,000 euros fine for “illegal advertising” concerning its heated tobacco device IQOS.
Philip Morris France and Philip Morris Products will also have to pay 50,000 euros of damages to two tobacco combations that pursued them – the National Committee against Smoking (CNCT) and tomorrow will be non-smoking (DNF) – By considering that the two companies broke the Tobacco Products Act by promoting IQOS devices.
This small electronic case, marketed in France since 2017, works with tobacco refills mixed with glycerin. Its technology avoids the combustion of tobacco. Philip Morris boasts the fact that its product is “less harmful” than classic cigarettes because it does not generate tar, but no independent study has confirmed this reduction in the risk related to its use.
Philip Morris intends to call
At the hearing on September 23, the company argued that the distinction between the electronic device and its refills “must be made and that the first being” not a tobacco product “, the Advertising for this product “was not subject to regulation on tobacco products”.
“This is the failure of an industrial strategy” for one of the main cigarette manufacturers, commented on the France-Press agency (AFP) Hugo Lévy, CNCT lawyer, the announcement judgment, welcoming that judges are “not fallen in the panel” of the argumentation of the cigaretier.
“We take note of the decision of this day and look at the possibility of appealing this decision,” said Jeanne Polles, President of Philip Morris France. “We maintain that the allegations raised by the CNCT are unfounded. We hope that the final outcome of the case will recognize the legality of our commercial practices of our alternative product that heats tobacco instead of burning it,” A-T -The added.