Ben King
Journalist
Bbc
Advertising for a heated tobacco product exposed in a Sainsbury store in London
Sainsbury’s and Morrisons display advertisements for tobacco products in their stores which, according to negotiation standards, are contrary to the law.
Video screens and posters promote devices that provide nicotine by heating tobacco rather than burning it.
The two supermarkets say they believe that laws prohibiting tobacco advertising do not apply to devices.
Heated tobacco is less harmful than cigarettes, but experts say it is probably more harmful than vapes, and less effective to help smokers leave.
Tobacco advertisements were prohibited in 2002. But if you enter a Sainsbury’s or a morrisons, you can see advertisements for IQOS, a device that uses an electronic current to heat tobacco.
Some are on flashing video screens in places where they can easily be seen by children. The BBC has also seen advertisements in Morrisons for a similar device called Ploom.
Heated tobacco is different from vapes, which contain nicotine but no tobacco, and they are much less popular. But tobacco companies wish to promote it as a new source of income to replace the decrease in cigarette sales.
The Charterred Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), which represents the teams of commercial standards of local authorities, says that the announcements are “prohibited” by the 2002 law.
CTSI says that the question has never been tested in court, so he cannot say in a conclusive manner that managing them is illegal.
“The only people who can test it definitively are the courts. Now the courts are Chocka. Commercial standards are very stretched, and I think that is probably the reason why you see more and more these advertisements”, said Kate Pike, leading the main officer for tobacco and vaping in CTSI, told the BBC.
“It takes Mick, that’s my point of view.”
There is limited evidence regarding the effects on the health of heated tobacco, according to Professor Lion Shahab, co -director of the tobacco and alcohol research group at University College in London.
“As does not imply any combustion, heated tobacco is probably less harmful than cigarettes,” he said.
“Current results suggest that heated tobacco can be more harmful than electronic cigarettes, and less effective in helping smokers give up long -term cigarettes.”
In June 2018, the Minister of Health, Steve Brine, wrote to the company that makes IQOS, Philip Morris International (PMI), to say that advertising was “prohibited” and ask them to “refrain from ‘Such a promotion in the future “.
Two months later, he wrote to thank them for having “agreed to comply with our request to stop advertising and promotion of the IQOS device”.
PMI says that he only agreed to suspend advertising, not to stop.
A spokesperson said: “We maintain our opinion that communications concerning the IQOS system at the appropriate outlets are lawful.”
Morrisons, London tobacco cut, showing advertisements for heated tobacco devices
Japan Tobacco International (JTI), who makes Ploom, said that the 2002 law defines a tobacco product as something “smoked, sniffed, suckled or minced”, and because heated tobacco products do not produce any Smoke, they are not covered by this definition.
Morrisons cited the same argument. “On this basis, we are comfortable that it is legal that heated tobacco products be announced in store,” he said.
Sainsbury’s said that advertisements “comply with current tobacco law”.
The two supermarkets say that they do not sell the devices to children.
PMI and JTI say that their heated tobacco devices are only intended for existing nicotine and tobacco users.
Hazel Cheeseman, director general of action on smoking and health, said that supermarkets announcing these products were “shameful behavior”.
“(TI) exerts pressure on application services and overloaded risks of presentation of children and young people to new tobacco products.”
The government would not say if he still thinks that heated tobacco advertising is prohibited.
A spokesperson said: “The tobacco bill and the vapes of this government will improve the existing legislation, including advertising, and will put us on the right track for a smoked UK.”
The next bill should prohibit all the advertising of nicotine and tobacco products, including the pockets and vapes of nicotine.
The largest supermarket in the United Kingdom, Tesco, said that he did not broadcast tobacco advertisements, while ASDA spokesperson said he does not announce tobacco products “in order to comply with current legislation as we understand it “.
