Dr. Katrin Schaller
In Germany, the heated tobacco product (HTP) ‘Iqos’ from Philip Morris has been out there since 2017 and ‘Glo’ from British American Tobacco since 2020. In Might 2024, Japan Tobacco Worldwide (JTI) turned the third tobacco firm to launch its HTP ‘Ploom’ in Germany. When it was launched, Ploom was out there on-line all through Germany in addition to in retailers in 4 cities (Cologne, Düsseldorf, Bonn and Leverkusen).
Tobacco promoting on billboards in public areas – besides on the level of sale – has been banned in Germany since 2022. Since 2023, this has additionally utilized to HTPs (German Tobacco Product Regulation). Regardless of the prevailing ban on out of doors promoting, JTI supported the Ploom launch in Cologne with an eye catching billboard marketing campaign from mid-Might to mid-June in 2024, Determine 1 and Determine 2. With the intention to circumvent the promoting ban, solely the heating gadgets had been proven on the posters, however not the tobacco sticks that are for use with the heating gadget. Thus, no tobacco product itself was seen on the billboards.
Determine 1. Out of doors promoting for Ploom in Cologne primary railway station. The textual content says: Expertise enjoyment in a brand new approach. Discover out extra on ploom.com. This product isn’t risk-free and is just for grownup customers of tobacco or nicotine merchandise. Tobacco sticks comprise nicotine, which is addictive. Photograph credit score: Katrin Schaller
Determine 2. Out of doors promoting for Ploom in Cologne in an underground station. Photograph credit score: Ute Mons
Actually, with out the tobacco sticks the heating gadget is with none operate. The tobacco sticks for use within the heating gadget had been talked about in a textual content word on the billboard: ‘This product isn’t risk-free and is just for grownup customers of tobacco or nicotine merchandise. Tobacco sticks comprise nicotine, which is addictive.’ This discover doesn’t correspond to the legally mandated well being warning on tobacco which says: ’This tobacco product is dangerous to your well being and is addictive.’ The billboards highlighted the product’s new style and had been positioned in underground and railway stations, the place many individuals of all ages may be focused when utilizing public transport.
Upon the recommendation of a tobacco management advocate, town of Cologne investigated the legality of the Ploom promoting and concluded that this type of promoting is prohibited. In consequence, town requested the promoting firms answerable for the promoting area to take away the billboards. By July 2024, there have been no extra Ploom billboards in Cologne.
Although the promoting ban was in the end enforced, the promoting was very prominently seen in extremely frequented places for a number of weeks. In consequence, the billboard promoting for Ploom was capable of attain an enormous viewers, together with younger individuals.
This instance from Germany clearly exhibits that the tobacco business tries to bypass promoting bans for HTPs by promoting solely the heating gadget with out displaying the tobacco sticks. To keep away from this loophole, nations ought to explicitly embody the heating gadgets in promoting bans on HTPs.
Writer
Dr. Katrin Schaller, German Most cancers Analysis Heart (DKFZ), Basis underneath Public Regulation, Unit Most cancers Prevention, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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