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Italiano The F.I.T. and "The Authorized Promotions"
The National Assembly of the Italian Tobacconists' Federation – Federazione Italiana Tabaccai (FIT), of last May 11th had as its guests the top management of Big Tobacco, and politicians with the courtesy visit of Giulio Tremonti, Italy’s current Minister of Finance.
The judgment of Yesmoke, an Italian cigarette manufacturer, on this event is negative: it was an anachronistic show, the product of a degenerated system, which seems to rotate around the interests of a few foreign companies that hold 99% of the Italian market, and defend their privileges.
The New Concept of “Commercial Briefing” – «Informativa Commerciale»
Cigarette manufacturers have always illegally promoted their products in tobacco shops and in nightspots. Both national and European Community legislation specify that “Every form of commercial communication is forbidden that has as its objective or effect, direct or indirect, the promotion of a tobacco product”.
The satirical-information program Le Iene, on illegal cigarette advertising
However, in spite of repeated notifications and even the involvement of the popular satirical TV programs «Striscia la Notizia» and «Le Iene», the promotions have continued undisturbed.
The Assembly of the FIT, to allow Big Tobacco to continue to trample the law, has introduced the concept of “Authorized Briefing” (“Informativa Commerciale”). Here is what the president of the FIT Risso declared:
“All this might appear to be an excessive opening to the needs of the manufacturers, but in fact, means that we have succeeded in introducing and imposing definite rules and conditions, which they must abide by to carry out information activities, which up to today, have taken place in a manner absolutely without any control.
The principle that derived is one that allows the manufacturers to communicate, in tobacco shops and with prior notification to the AAMS and with the consent of the seller, information and news on the quality of their products, so long as such information is not accompanied by the handout of gadgets or the offer to change the product”.
The FIT seems to be proposing merely a halfway violation of the law: it is OK to promote products in the tobacco shops, but with prior “authorization” and without giving away cigarettes. How can they make such an absurd proposal as if it were something normal?
The Social and Cultural Change
Only a few years ago, it was normal for people to smoke in hospitals, at the movies and at school where teachers and students smoked freely, and politicians spoke on television during their electoral programs with an ashtray on the table, blowing smoke into the TV camera. Even though, at the time this behavior was not punished by the law, today we ask ourselves disbelieving, “How was it possible?”
In 2010, there are those who publicly say that we should be able to violate the law, with the sector organizations that openly promote the interests of foreign cigarette manufacturers. And these companies “thank” Italy, by evading taxes as they please. And the politicians with their small talk, why in the world would they go to the FIT Assembly if not to entwine friendships with the hope of being selected by Big Tobacco as “lobbyists”?
Today all this is considered normal; but tomorrow we will be asking ourselves disbelieving: “How was it possible?”
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