A pavilion with the inscription ‘Tobacco Innovations’ during the Zandvoort Grand Prix raises question marks and especially a lot of indignation. The Dutch organization was not happy with the pavilion, but could not get out of a deal with the international F1 organization. The NVWA is investigating the matter.

By the web editors

A mysterious booth labeled “Tobacco Innovations” on the Zandvoort circuit during the Grand Prix last weekend shows that Formula 1 and tobacco promotion still go hand in hand. This year, the cars of McLaren, the team sponsored by British American Tobacco, among others, no longer featured an advertisement for the e-cigarette brand, nor that manufacturer's brand of nicotine bags. Last year, those brand advertisements caused a stir.

But now there was that tobacco pavilion. Stefan Haensel, urologist at Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland in Rotterdam, posted pictures of it on LinkedIn. He wrote with them, “A shadowy pavilion with the curious name ‘Tobacco Innovations’ offered its services. I asked one of the employees what they were selling. I was then asked the question ‘do you smoke?’ I denied, and then she said not to say anything to me now. She sensed wetness when I stayed to find out more, and along with her co-workers snatched the tobacco leaflets and kindly waited until I was gone.
“A few hours later I went back and listened in on another customer. They were selling devices to burn cigarettes more efficiently, so you can get more smoke, nicotine, oxygen radicals and addictive substances out of your cigarette. So you’re more likely to get cancer. I believe they phrased it a little more subtly.”

Promotion of Philip Morris?

This appears to have been a booth of Philip Morris International (PMI) promoting its heated-tobacco products, a tobacco-free version of which was recently released on the market that can therefore be offered again with flavors anyway. It is known that PMI uses promotional staff at tobacco stores, who similarly provide customers who indicate they smoke with “information” about the tobacco alternatives. PMI is also still a sponsor of the Ferrari team. Two years ago, the tobacco manufacturer invited all kinds of well-known and influential people, including cancer researcher Ronald Plasterk, to its VIP lounge at the circuit. Last year, Harry Mens’ presence at the same event prompted an appearance by PMI director Miguel Matos on the entrepreneur-presenter’s TV program Business Class.

DutchGP was against the stand

Dutch Grand Prix, the organizer of the Formula 1 races at Zandvoort, informed TabakNee that it was not happy with the tobacco promotion at the circuit. A press officer reported, “On the grounds of the Dutch Grand Prix there was an activation called ‘Tabacco Innovations’. This organization has a contract with Formula 1 to place this activation at their F1 events. The activation does not violate Dutch law, but it is an activation that we, as Dutch Grand Prix (local promoter) did not want to place. However, contractually it could not be avoided. For that reason a location was given that was not very visible. In our evaluation with F1 we will mention this again and indicate that this is highly undesirable and to be left out in the future.”

For more details on the agreement between Formula 1 and the company behind the promotional stand, the spokesman referred to Formula 1, the international organization behind Formula 1 racing. However, the latter did not respond to questions from TabakNee.

NVWA investigates the matter

Whether there was indeed no violation of the Tobacco Act, which prohibits any form of promotion for tobacco and other smoking products, is the question. In any case, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is still investigating the matter, reports a spokesperson to TabakNee. “The NVWA itself has also noticed this LinkedIn post and is launching an investigation as a result. This will examine whether there is a violation of the advertising ban on circuit Zandvoort. Only on the basis of the message on LinkedIn we cannot yet assess this.” According to the newspaper Noordhollands Dagblad, for example, the leaflets that were quickly removed in front of Haensel’s nose could be a violation of the promotion ban.

Alderman Zandvoort reacts angrily

The newspaper Haarlems Dagblad noted that local politicians were also displeased with the tobacco pavilion. The newspaper quotes alderman Lars Caree (health, VVD) saying that the village council “obviously does not welcome this. Encouraging smoking, or making it more effective, is against the health policy of Zandvoort and the Kennemerland region. We will certainly bring this up in the evaluation with Dutch Grand Prix as one of the topics of discussion.” His commitment will be that the stand will not return next.

Lung pathologist Daniëlle Cohen, among other things initiator of the free teaching package Vaping Your Choice, like many expressed outrage at Haensel’s LinkedIn post. “An event full of young people coming to see their role models. And yet these kinds of stands with a semi-positive image ('innovation’) being linked in the minds of thousands of visitors to the ‘high tech fantastic innovative F1’.”

The races in Zandvoort attracted a total of 275,000 people, De Telegraaf reported.