The Italian Competition Authority (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, AGCM) has opened an investigation into Philip Morris Italia S.p.A. for alleged unfair commercial practices related to the promotion of its so-called “smoke-free” products.
According to the Authority, the company may have used misleading expressions such as “senza fumo” (“smoke-free”), “un futuro senza fumo” (“a future without smoke”), and “prodotti senza fumo” (“smoke-free products”) in its marketing materials. The AGCM noted that these claims could be unclear or deceptive for consumers, as they suggest the products are harmless or less harmful than traditional tobacco products.
In reality, the Authority emphasized, even though these innovative products do not involve combustion, they are not free from potential health risks, nor can they be considered less harmful or non-addictive.
As part of the investigation, officials from the AGCM, supported by the Guardia di Finanza’s Special Antitrust Unit, carried out inspections at the offices of Philip Morris Italia S.p.A. and Philip Morris Manufacturing & Technology Bologna S.p.A.
The inquiry seeks to determine whether the company’s promotional strategies breach consumer protection rules by omitting essential information about the health effects and addictive nature of its “smoke-free” line of products.
The case reflects increasing attention from regulators across Europe to how tobacco companies promote next-generation products as supposedly less harmful alternatives to traditional cigarettes..
