Smokers ‘wrongly believe nicotine is a cause of cancer’

Efforts to encourage people to stop smoking may be being held back by a poor understanding of how the health risks associated with the habit actually function.

This is according to a new report from Public Health England, which has indicated that four in ten smokers and ex-smokers incorrectly think that the nicotine content in cigarettes is the primary cause of smoking-related cancer risks.

Only 7.5 percent thought that none or a very small part of the risk of smoking comes from nicotine, with 14 percent perceiving it as representing nearly all of the risk. This may be putting them off using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and e-cigarettes as tools to help them quit.

Moreover, it was shown that 58 percent of smokers still try to quit without using an aid and going 'cold turkey', despite evidence suggesting this is actually the least effective approach.

Using NRT or e-cigarettes make it one-and-a-half times more likely that smokers will succeed in quitting, while smoking cessation medicines can double the chances.

Professor John Newton, director of health improvement at Public Health England, said: "For a truly smokefree NHS to become a reality, our emphasis is to support hospitals shift their efforts away from simply 'enforcing' no smoking towards offering ongoing support to help smokers stop for good."

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