The Indian government's decision follows an investigation published Thursday by the British news agency, which revealed illegal marketing tactics deployed by the American company Philip Morris.
ONCE AGAIN, PHILIP MORRIS EXCEED THE TERMS!
India is now firmly attacking the powerful tobacco industry. The American giant Philip Morris is threatened with " punitive sanctions From the Indian government for violating the country's anti-smoking laws. According to Reuters, the Ministry of Health sent a final warning in the form of a letter to the operational headquarters of the company in Lausanne, Switzerland.
This decision follows the survey published Thursday by the British press agency, which revealed the illegal marketing tactics deployed by the American company. To gain ground against the industry leader in India, ITC (Imperial Tobacco Company), the ads were aimed primarily at the younger generations. After several attempts to call to order, India hardens its positions and tackles one of its most important public health problems.
FREE "SAMPLES" DISTRIBUTION
Since October 2016, the government installed in the capital New Delhi has endeavored to warn the main tobacco manufacturers of the illegality of their practices, by multiplying the letters of warning. More specifically, the authorities ordered the removal of all advertisements from kiosks serving as tobacconists, both indoors and outdoors. They also stipulated the prohibition " to sample »Their products, that is to say organize free distributions of cigarettes to better attract customers, a common practice for the American brand according to the head of tobacco control in New Delhi, SK Arora.
The Reuters agency revealed mainly in its investigation documents internal to Philip Morris. The company is explicit in its targeting of the youth of the subcontinent, replicating a promotional strategy that it and other tobacco companies used in the United States decades ago.
The key objective is to « win the hearts and minds of the 18-24 years« . In another strategic document from 2015, the company wants to ensure that « every adult Indian smoker can buy Marlboro (the reference brand of the company) less than five minutes walk« . Ultimately, the goal is to reach 100 million smokers, out of a total population of 1,3 billion.
