Advertising ban sought

A French member of the European Parliament has asked the Commission if it believes that the advertising of electronic cigarettes should be banned.
In a preamble to her question, which is due to be answered by the Commission in writing, Sophie Montel pointed out that the EU said it was committed to tobacco control, ‘bearing in mind that, every year, nicotine addiction takes a toll of 700,000 victims in Europe and causes seven million deaths worldwide’.
‘That is why the EU Tobacco Products Directive prohibits manufacturers from claiming that one of their products is less harmful than another: tobacco consumption in any form is dangerous.
‘Philip Morris is now marketing an electronic device (IQOS) for smoking ‘heated tobacco’, as opposed to the tobacco that gets burned when it is smoked in conventional cigarettes.
‘Although it is legal to market this device, the company’s advertising seeking to publicise it is illegal in some countries, including France, and its claims that its product entails a lower risk of harm are at odds with the EU Tobacco Products Directive.’
Montel asked: ‘Does not the Commission think that every form of advertising of tobacco products or the like (e-cigarettes) should be completely banned in all member states and that manufacturers ought to be penalised when they dream up ways to circumvent the rules?’