Nicotine Pouches and Harm Reduction: A Response to the “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” Narrative

Recent commentary describing nicotine pouches as “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” reflects legitimate public-health concerns about youth uptake, long-term uncertainty, and nicotine dependence. However, the framing risks obscuring a critical distinction at the heart of modern tobacco control: the difference between absolute risk and relative risk. Nicotine pouches are not risk-free, but the available evidence…