Tobacco Control’s Nervous Breakdown

Clayton Christensen's theory of disruptive innovation reshaped markets by addressing unmet needs through novel technologies and business models, as seen in the tobacco industry with the rise of vaping and now oral nicotine pouches. Regulatory challenges hindered the disruption's full impact on tobacco companies, while regulators' missteps led to unintended consequences like increased smoking and illicit trade. The confident consumer benefits from safer products, but the tobacco control complex faces an existential threat as harm reduction challenges its purpose. Overall, disruptive innovation continues to transform the nicotine market, impacting incumbents, regulators, and consumer behavior.