Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1543154
Tobacco Asia 27 • Double your resource value • Use 100% expanded fine- cut for MYO and RYO • Untouchable product quality • Impex – pressure/vacuum technology • DIET - Dry Ice Expansion Technology AircoDIET has supplied more than 55 DIET plants worldwide, many of which have been turn-key. We continuously develop and refine the DIET process and our DIET plants have above 95% uptime with a dry yield better than 98.5% through the plant. www.aircodiet.com Over 100% tobacco expansion The Public First analysis found this issue consistent across markets, regardless of regulatory maturity. In some countries, more than three‑quarters of policy respondents believed nicotine itself causes cancer. BAT's report states that this misperception re‑ mains "a major obstacle to evidence‑based regulation." Several independent scientific studies reveal the same pattern. A peer‑reviewed article in Scientific Reports (2025) found that large majorities of adults underestimate the risk difference between cigarettes and non‑combustible nicotine products, and that many participants "incorrectly attributed the harms of burning tobacco to nicotine it‑ self." According to the study's authors, this misunderstanding "persists despite decades of evidence showing nicotine is not the primary driver of smoking‑related mortality." Altria's scientific communications review arrived at nearly identical conclusions. The company stated that "even among health professionals, confusion about nico‑ tine's role remains widespread," citing multiple surveys that found that medical pro‑ viders incorrectly judged nicotine's role in causing cancer. Altria's researchers noted that persistent misunderstanding "can reduce smokers' willingness to try smoke‑free alternatives" and "undermine the public health potential of less harmful products." Why misperceptions persist Across all the reports reviewed for this article, the causes of nicotine misperception are remarkably consistent. First, the persistence of decades‑old messaging remains a decisive factor. The Scientific Reports article notes that for many adults, "nicotine" became synonymous with "smoking danger" due to historical anti‑tobacco campaigns that rarely distin‑ guished between the drug and the tar that the smoke delivers. The authors conclude that, "Participants demonstrated difficulty separating nicotine as a substance from the toxicants produced by combustion." BAT's analysis also highlights the cumulative impact of legacy messaging: "Nicotine has long been portrayed as the cause of smoking‑related diseases in public narratives, creat‑ ing lasting misconceptions that persist even as scientific understanding has advanced." Second, inconsistent regulatory language leads to confusion. Public First's find‑ ings show that in many countries, laws and regulatory guidance documents fail to dis‑ tinguish between nicotine and combustible harm. BAT summarized: "When regula‑ tions treat all nicotine products uniformly, it reinforces the false belief that they are equally harmful." A third driver is the amplification of incorrect claims online. According to the Scientific Reports study, exposure to "misleading risk information in digital environ‑ ments" significantly reduces risk‑differentiation accuracy. The authors state that such exposure "creates a durable effect that persists even when corrective information is later provided." Large majorities of adults underestimate the risk gap between cigarettes and non-combustible nicotine products, often wrongly blaming nicotine itself for the harms caused by burning tobacco. Credit: REB Center - Moscow, CC2.0.