Philip Morris International issued an official statement regarding the notification of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) about opening a case against Philip Morris Sales and Distribution LLC, which is the official representative of the well-known manufacturer of IQOS tobacco heating systems in Ukraine.
A few days earlier, the antimonopoly committee announced the initiation of a case against Philip Morris due to the deliberate downplaying of the harmfulness of IQOS – AMCU sees misleading advertising in Philip Morris’s claims about a lower health risk from IQOS compared to ordinary tobacco cigarettes.
Philip Morris International reacted only now – the IQOS manufacturer claims that it has not received any messages from the AMCU about the case against Philip Morris Sales and Distribution LLC. At the same time, the company rejects the accusations of AMCU and notes that the statements about IQOS “were and remain clear, reliable and scientifically proven.” Philip Morris International are confident that they are right and call on the AMCU to avoid spreading premature conclusions until the case is fully completed.
Below is the full text of Philip Morris International’s official statement regarding the opening of the AMCU case against the company.
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We have not received any notification from the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) about the case regarding Philip Morris Sales and Distribution LLC. Our claims about IQOS have been and remain clear, reliable and scientifically proven.
We are ready to cooperate with AMCU in their investigation, the opening of which is only the beginning of the process of determining whether the suspected violation is justified. There is considerable evidence to support that, although IQOS is not risk-free, it is a better alternative to continuing to smoke. This evidence includes thorough laboratory studies and 10 clinical studies by the company, as well as numerous independent studies, including government agencies in several EU countries, such as Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Thousands of smokers in Ukraine switched to IQOS and stopped smoking. It is important that consumers continue to receive reliable information and are not misled, which may encourage them to continue smoking or return to cigarettes – one of the most harmful forms of nicotine use – which harm their health and public health in general
It should also be noted that the authenticity of the information about IQOS distributed by the company had already been confirmed earlier during the AMCU’s consideration of a statement with similar accusations by another complainant.
The company also urges the AMCU and the press to avoid expressing or spreading premature conclusions until the collection of evidence in the case is fully completed and to adhere to the proper standards and principles of law.
Press service of Philip Morris Ukraine
