Zhang said adults might not be affected but youngsters who used the emoji in their messaging app “have less critical thinking and could be affected”. Some of the app’s other emoji images have been altered to tone down or remove suggestions of violence. “We thought it was problematic – it doesn’t go along with our anti-smoking campaign, and can be detrimental to youngers,” BTCA president Jianshu Zhang told TobaccoIntelligence. The Beijing Tobacco Control Association (BTCA) first asked the internet giant in 2017 to change the emoji, which was supposed to represent “cool and chilling”. WeChat’s owner Tencent Holdings has now said it would replace it with a similar figure in dark glasses and without the cigar. The original emoji showed a soldier wearing a green helmet and with a lit cigar in his mouth.
Alternative tobacco and nicotine products in Italy.
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