A 60-year-old man was shocked to see a photo of his amputated leg on packets of cigarettes without his permission.
The man from Albania, who is now in France, said he lost his leg in 1997 after a shooting incident and it had nothing to do with smoking.
He said that the photo was displayed on packets of tobacco in France with a warning that cigarette ‘smoking clogs your arteries.’
The man told French media that the photo was taken when he went to a hospital to determine if he was suitable for a walking aid.
Local media reported that he first saw the photo on a pack of cigarette his son brought from Luxembourg.
His daughter said to Le Republican Lorrain: “He [the man’s son] was coming back from Luxembourg. Without saying a word, he put a big box of rolling tobacco on the table.
“We were stunned. We did not believe it.”
The daughter added: “It’s our father’s. His scars are characteristic.”
Antoinette Fittante, the family’s lawyer, told the paper: “Each scar is specific, unique. This man also has burn marks on the other leg – it’s very clear. An expert will have no trouble identifying this image.”
He added: “He experienced it as a betrayal. It’s hurtful.”
The family contacted the European Commission who have told them they could not trace the origin of the photo because “the person whose name you gave us does not appear in the library of these images for health warnings.”
Fittante said that the family questions whether someone else signed the consent form.
European Commission spokesman said to Le Parisian newspaper: “We have the identity, the agreement and the rights for all the people photographed for this campaign.
“From the information we have, we can say without a doubt that this individual is not one of them.”
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