Youth Smoking Prevention files complaint against Philip Morris

2 November 2026

The Dutch Youth Smoking Prevention Foundation is pressing charges against Philip Morris for deception and prohibited advertising of its heated tobacco product. Fines and settlements did not help: now it is up to criminal law. Through its public campaign ‘Stop Philip M.’ the foundation is seeking support for the legal complaint.

The Youth Smoking Prevention Foundation in the Netherlands is going to file a complaint against Philip Morris for deception and prohibited advertising for its heated tobacco product. This is announced today by Youth Smoking Prevention (YSP) together with the launch of the Stop Philip M. support campaign, that calls on the public to sign a petition.

The complaint against Philip Morris by YSP was drawn up by lawyers Bénédicte Ficq (Ficq & Partners) and Sjoerd Lopik and Lisette van der Linde (De Roos Coöperatief) and will be handed over to the Public Prosecution Service by mid-November. The Antoni van Leeuwenhoek / Netherlands Cancer Institute, the Health Funds for Smokefree Netherlands (KWF Cancer Society, Lung Fund and Heart Foundation), lung specialist association NVALT, Lung Cancer Netherlands and the Dutch Journal of Medicine (NTvG) have already said they support the report.

One hundred years of misleading marketing

The complaint focuses on Philip Morris’ misleading marketing of its heated tobacco products.* According to Youth Smoking Prevention, this is accompanied by prohibited advertising, illegal practices and criminal deception, with the aim of making a new generation addicted to nicotine. “The youth – your children – are the replacement smokers,” says Wanda de Kanter, former pulmonologist and chair of Youth Smoking Prevention. “They are Philip M.’s new customers, who have to replace the deceased and quit smokers.”

“The deception by the tobacco industry has been going on for a hundred years now,” De Kanter continues. “The useless filter, ‘light’ cigarettes, manipulation of emission measurements, denial that nicotine is addictive, paid ‘science’, violation of advertising bans, influencer marketing, the harm reduction = harm production lobby. All that has to come to an end now.”

Old tactics, new product

According to Youth Smoking Prevention, Philip Morris uses the same tactics today as it used to use with the filter cigarette and the light cigarette. The company presents its heated tobacco as a less harmful alternative to the cigarette and thus as part of the solution to the smoking problem it has caused itself. Philip Morris mainly substantiates these claims with its own studies. The company does not include worrying results from independent scientific research. Youth Smoking Prevention sees this as crimes such as forgery and fraud.

Advertising ban systematically violated

The Netherlands has a total ban on advertising nicotine products. Philip Morris systematically violates that ban, which led, among other things, to a recent conviction by the Advertising Code Committee. The NVWA has also imposed various sanctions on the company. “Since fines from regulators and settlements with relatives do not prevent Philip Morris from new violations, it is now up to criminal law,” says lawyer Sjoerd Lopik.

Intervening while you still can

Lawyer Bénédicte Ficq: “Justice acts if a murder has been committed, or if a robbery or hack has taken place. But criminal law is also there to stop criminal offences that take place and continue under our eyes.” According to her, Philip Morris is using all means to bring a so-called ‘less harmful alternative’ to the market, “in the knowledge that this is anything but less harmful.” Her conclusion: “Don’t lag behind the facts but intervene while you still can.”

Lessons from 2016

Smoking Prevention Youth already filed a complaint against several tobacco manufacturers in 2016. This did not lead to prosecution, because the judge ruled that regulation of the tobacco industry belongs to the government. The new complaint is a response to that: it is based on existing rules and must ensure their enforcement.

Campaign STOP PHILIP M.

The complaint is accompanied by the public campaign STOP PHILIP M. De Kanter: “In the deception by the tobacco industry, Philip M. sets the tone. But who is that man? With this report and accompanying campaign, the inhumanity of a ruthless industry is given a face.”

Sign the petition on stopphilipm.nu and share this message with everyone who thinks that the deception by Philip Morris should stop.
Support the report with a donation to Youth Smoking Prevention.

*To avoid unnecessary advertising we don’t mention brand names.

campaign | heat-not-burn | marketing | STOP PHILIP M. | lawsuit