The Antimonopoly Committee launched an investigation against Philip Morris for spreading unconfirmed information about lower health risks from IQOS compared to regular tobacco cigarettes. This is reported on the website of the regulator.
AMCU started the case on December 30, but publicly announced it only now. The figurehead of the AMCU investigation is Philip Morris Sales and Distribution LLC, the official representative of Philip Morris International – the manufacturer of IQOS tobacco heating systems – in Ukraine.
The reason for initiating the case was the appeal of the consumer – he submitted a statement to the Committee in which he reported that during the years 2018-2021 he used tobacco products for electric heating HEETS of the IQOS system and mistakenly believed that these products were safer for health than ordinary tobacco cigarettes. . In the statement, the consumer reported that he did not find adequate confirmation of the veracity of this information from the developer of IQOS.
The AMCU notes that Philip Morris Sales and Distribution did not provide the Committee with adequate documentary confirmation of the truthfulness, accuracy and completeness of the statements that the company disseminates in Ukraine:
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- “fully switching to IQOS poses less risk to your health than continuing to smoke”;
- “IQOS emits 95% less harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes” is true.
The Antimonopoly Committee draws attention to the data of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and international studies, which indicate that any tobacco heating system is dangerous and does not reduce the risks of smoking. Therefore, the AMCU sees in the actions of the IQOS manufacturer signs of a violation provided for in Article 15 1 The Law of Ukraine “On Protection from Unfair Competition” — dissemination of misleading information.
In July 2022, a ban on smoking e-cigarettes in public places came into force in Ukraine.
In Ukraine, a ban on smoking e-cigarettes in public places came into force today
