UK: Ten Motives e-cigarette advert censured over health claim

The Guardian reports that an advert for Ten Motives e-cigarette advert in the UK has been banned after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that its claims to be “the healthier smoking alternative” could not be substantiated.

A leaflet from Ten Motives also claimed that “because it contains no tar or cancerous toxins, you can still enjoy smoking without worrying about the effects on your health”.

The company argued that its e-cigarettes were a healthier choice compared to normal cigarettes, and asserted that the product did not have the “4,000 or so harmful toxins and carcinogens” found in normal tobacco-based products.

They also argued that the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had confirmed that it would be acceptable to label its products as a “healthier alternative”, and they also provided other links and submited a presentation that it claimed supported its claims.

The ruling stated that “the ASA noted the two claims in the ad were understood to mean the Ten Motive's products were less harmful than conventional cigarettes”. However it ruled that the ad should still be banned, as “it noted it was not supported by further documentation or substantiation showing the effects of e-cigarettes or the Ten Motives products specifically”.

Source: The Guardian