Philip Morris, the world’s largest tobacco company, today launched Check Now Spain, an application for smartphones capable of identifying if a pack of tobacco is authentic, under its strategic plan to fight against the illicit tobacco trade.
The app is the company’s spearhead in its strategy to make consumers aware of the authenticity of its product and report it if it is counterfeit or smuggled.
The latest data from the Empty Package Survey, carried out by the consulting firm IPSOS, announce a decrease in the sale of illegal cigarettes in Spain to 9.1%, more than one point below the same figure in the previous period. Andalusia, where fairs have become one of the clearest examples of the availability of illegal tobacco, as indicated by data from the company’s research at fairs, continues to be the most affected region with 30.9% of incidence.
The app’s performance is simple. All you have to do is scan or type the identification code that appears on the pack and the application indicates whether the product is genuine or counterfeit, as well as the country to whose market it is destined for sale if it is a genuine product. If it is a counterfeit, or if the pack is being sold in a market other than the destination market, the app offers the possibility of contacting the company’s customer service to report the fact.
“We are going to continue fighting against illicit trade and for this we have to continue working from cooperation, innovation and knowledge. At Philip Morris we believe that the time has come for the consumer to play an active role in the fight against drug smuggling. tobacco and with Check Now Spain we are putting in their hands the best way to do it”, indicates the head of illicit trade prevention at Philip Morris Spain, Yolanda Velasco.
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