Beyond the Nicotine Spin: The Truth or Just Tabloid?

An insight from Mykola Kuzemko, Head of EU Operations from AIRSCREAM Group regarding media’s spin on nicotine alternatives. Mykola had raised the current issue at the recent POUCHEX expo held in Stockholm, Sweden urging every party from the industry players to media publishers to be united and accurate when it comes to shedding light on the truth.

With the rise of a smoke-free future through tobacco-free nicotine alternatives, one thing has become increasingly clear: better choices must be easy, accessible, and rooted in truth. Yet today, the path to harm reduction is obscured by noise loud narratives driven not by evidence, but by sensationalism.

At AIRSCREAM, we have always believed that science should lead the conversation. And during a recent industry address, our Head of EU Operations, Mykola Kuzemko, captured this urgency with a message that resonated deeply across the sector.

Mykola’s message was simple, yet deeply consequential:

Media shapes public perception; public perception shapes policy, and policy ultimately determines whether adult smokers gain access to safer alternatives.
When evidence is absent from the conversation, misinformation fills the gap and the cost is measured in lives, not headlines.

The Challenge: Science vs. Sensationalism

The digital era has created a dangerous cycle: one dramatic headline can overshadow years of peer-reviewed research in minutes.

Take, for example, the recurring tabloid alarmism:
“Nicotine pouches cause severe oral diseases and cancer.”

Baseless claims like these, ones that lack grounding in regulated product data, fuel confusion among consumers and slow down the adoption of significantly lower-risk alternatives. What would be the actual real-world impact? Friction in policymaking, misinformed public perception, and reduced access for millions of adult smokers seeking harm reduction.

The AIRSCREAM Position: Evidence Must Lead

At AIRSCREAM, innovation is never separate from science. We develop products responsibly and rely on established research to guide our decisions.

And the science is clear:

Clinical Evidence

Studies have consistently confirmed that regulated nicotine pouches contain significantly lower levels of harmful toxicants compared to traditional smokeless tobacco products. When used as intended, they present a minimal risk of oral lesions or cancers.
(Smith M. et al., Tobacco Regulatory Science, 2024)

Usage Reality

Despite the common narrative portrayed within the media, the risk of youth uptake is commonly overstated. Research demonstrates that nicotine pouches are used predominantly by adult smokers seeking harm reduction, with minimal engagement among youth or non-smokers.
(Johnson L. et al., Addiction, 2025)

Evidence should not be optional. It should be the foundation of every public health conversation.

The Swedish Model: Proof in Plain Sight

To understand the true impact of accessible, regulated harm reduction products, we look to Sweden a nation on the brink of becoming the first officially “smoke-free” country in the world.

The results are transformative:

1. Daily smoking rates below 5%, compared to over 20% across much of the EU.
2. 40% fewer tobacco-related deaths than the European average.
3. 61% lower male lung cancer deaths.
4. A 49% drop in smoking among women between 2016 and 2024.

This progress did not happen by chance. It happened because Sweden embraced fact-driven policy, supported safer alternatives, and rejected fear-based narratives.

Turning Insight into Action: Media Responsibility in Harm Reduction

Mykola expressed a crucial call to action as what he described as the “espresso shots of media responsibility.” Small, concentrated steps that make an instant impact –

1. Package Facts, Not Feelings

Media partners deserve accessible science.
We must provide ready-to-use research summaries, Cochrane reviews, RCT highlights, and national health data ensuring journalists have verified facts at their fingertips.

2. Simplify the Science

One-page explainer sheets make complex study designs understandable.
If we help translate terms like “relative risk reduction” before misinformation does, we improve the quality of every discussion.

3. Share Balanced Success Stories

Sweden’s success is powerful, but credibility comes from balance.
By acknowledging both global progress and local challenges, we help build public trust while reinforcing what responsible harm reduction can achieve.

Our Call to Action

For everyone working towards a smoke-free future; manufacturers, policymakers, journalists, researchers, and advocates. We at AIRSCREAM urge the key industry players and major media partners to practice transparency. The mandate is clear:

Silence may be golden in meditation, but for public health, silence is dangerous.

To the Industries and Media partners:

Before publishing, run the checklist:

• Cite primary research
• Include study limitations
• Provide risk-based context

Clicks fade. Credibility does not.

To Policymakers:

Your decisions shape lives.
Keep regulated alternatives accessible for adults.
Strengthen enforcement against illicit products, not against innovation.

The AIRSCREAM Commitment

At AIRSCREAM, our purpose remains grounded in empowerment, we create products designed to offer adult smokers a better choice. A choice built on clarity, not confusion.

Facts once revolutionised tobacco control.
They can do it again.

And together, by keeping evidence not emotion in the driver’s seat, we can build a future defined by better decisions, better access, and better outcomes.

Because the future deserves better headlines. And we’re ready to help write them.