Public Health England will be looking into Japan Tobacco International’s ‘New Dual’ range replacing menthol products, reported i.

The investigation has been ordered by health minister, Jo Churchill, and it will be examining the series of cigarettes which have just been released. After the ban on flavoured tobacco products was brought in in May, JTI, which trades as Gallaher in the UK, brought out its ‘New Dual’ range across its Benson & Hedges, Mayfair and Silk Cut products.
According to the report, PHE will be contacting JTI in order to find out more information about the company’s compliance with new laws. Dr Rosemary Hiscock, of the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath, stated, “We welcome the news that PHE is pursuing this matter. JTI’s new ranges of product variants with similar names to their menthol cigarettes have been promoted under a ‘menthol reimagined’ logo. Not surprisingly, retailers have reported that this confuses smokers.”
A spokesperson for JTI, told i that the group had not yet been contacted by PHE, stating, “All the ingredient information for our new products was shared with the authorities at both UK and EU level via the EU Common Entry Gate prior to their being placed on the market, so there is full transparency throughout this process. All JTI products continue to comply fully with the law. We look forward to providing further information if requested by the authorities.”