Sainsbury and morrisons are against the law that the trading standards say advertisements for tobacco products are displayed in their stores.

Video screens and posters promote devices that provide nicotine by heating tobacco instead of burning it.

Two supermarkets say they believe that laws banning tobacco advertisements do not apply to equipment.

Warm tobacco is less harmful than cigarettes, but experts say it is probably more harmful than vapes, and is less effective in helping smokers.

In 2002, tobacco advertisements were banned. But if you walk in a Senbury or a Morrison, you can look at advertisements for IQOS well, a device that uses an electronic current to heat tobacco.

Some shine on the video screen in some places where they can be easily seen by children. The BBC has also seen an advertisement for a similar device in Morrison called Plum.

Hot tobacco is different from vapes, which contain nicotine but no tobacco, and they are very few. But tobacco companies are eager to promote it as a new revenue stream to change cigarette sales.

Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), which represents the local authority trading standard teams, says advertisements by the 2002 law are “prohibited”.

CTSI says that the issue has never been tested in court, so it cannot decidely say that it is illegal to run them.

Kate Pike, Lead Officer, Kate Pike, Kate Pike, “Kate Pike,” Kate Pike, “Kate Pike,” for tobacco and VAPING in CTSI, told the BBC.

“It is taking Mick, I think.”

According to Prof. Lion Shahb, co-director of Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group at University College, London, there is limited evidence about the health effects of hot tobacco.

“As it does not contain any combustion, hot tobacco is less harmful than cigarettes,” he said.

“Current findings suggest that warm tobacco can be more harmful than e-cigarettes, and smokers may be less effective in helping giving cigarettes longer.”

In June 2018, the then Health Minister Steve Brine wrote to the company, which makes IQOS, Philip Morris International (PMI), the advertisement for this was “prohibited” and asking them to “desire such promotion in future” For.

Two months later, he wrote “he wrote for thanks to” stop advertising and agree to agree to our request to promote the IQOS device “.

PMI says that it only agrees to suspend the advertisement, not stopping.

A spokesperson said: “We maintain our idea that communication about IQOS device is valid at appropriate points of sales.”

Japan Tobacco International (JTI), which makes Plum, said the 2002 law defines a tobacco product, which “smoked, sunga, sucked or chewed”, and because hot tobacco products do not produce smoke , They are not covered by it. Definition.

Morrison cited the same argument. “On that basis, we are comfortable that it is legal for hot tobacco products to be advertised in the store,” it said.

Censor said that the advertisements were “in line with the current tobacco law”.

Both supermarkets say they do not sell equipment to children.

PMI and JTI states that their warm tobacco equipment is only intended to existing nicotine and tobacco users.

Hazel Cheesman, the chief executive of smoking and action on health, said that the advertisement of Supermarkets was an advertisement “derogatory behavior”.

“(This) puts pressure on the oversech enforcement services and risks and introduces children and youth to new tobacco products.”

The government will not say whether it still feels that the advertisement is prohibited.

A spokesperson said: “The government’s landmark tobacco and VPS bill will extend the existing law, including advertising, and we will be put on track for smoke-free UK.”

Upcoming bill All advertisements of nicotine and tobacco products, including nicotine pouches and vapes, are expected to be banned.

The UK’s largest supermarket Tesco said it does not run tobacco advertisements, while a spokesman from Asda said that it does not advertise tobacco products “to follow the current law as we understand it”.