Key facts
- Italy's competition authority fined Philip Morris Italia €7 million.
- The fine addresses marketing claims for non-combustion tobacco products like heated tobacco and e-vapor devices.
- The authority stated claims such as 'smoke-free' are misleading regarding product health impacts.
- Philip Morris Italia plans to appeal the decision, asserting compliance with Italian and EU law.
Italy's competition authority has imposed a €7 million fine on Philip Morris Italia for allegedly misleading marketing practices related to its non-combustion tobacco products. The regulator stated that expressions such as 'smoke-free' and 'building a smoke-free future' mislead consumers, including minors, into believing these products are harmless or less harmful than traditional cigarettes.