Dutch food safety body NVWA has started an investigation into a new advertising campaign by tobacco giant Philip Morris to promote the ‘smoke free’ alternatives it has developed.

Philip Morris has launched a new website for the products and promoted it with a page advert in the Telegraaf at the weekend. In that advert, the company said that the millions of Dutch people who still smoke have the right to information about the smoke free alternatives.

The NVWA points out that advertising tobacco products is illegal and that the ban is extremely broad. While not mentioning the products by name, the advert does include the company’s brand name.

The NVWA investigation follows complaints by anti-smoking groups. If found to have broken the ban, Philip Morris could be fined up to €450,000.