ROME (Reuters) -Italy’s antitrust regulator said on Wednesday it had opened an investigation into Philip Morris Italia for alleged unfair commercial practices.
The tobacco giant allegedly promoted its so-called ‘smoke-free’ products in an incorrect way, using expressions like ‘smoke-free’, and slogans such as ‘a future without smoke’, the authority said in a statement.
“These expressions may be unclear and misleading for consumers, as they refer to products that, despite the absence of combustion, are not free from potential harmful health effects, nor are they less harmful than others, and may cause addiction,” the watchdog said.
(Reporting by Giulia Segreti, editing by Cristina Carlevaro)
