Perceptions of the health risks related to cigarettes and nicotine among university faculty

Abstract

Although experts have established that tobacco combustion, not nicotine, is responsible for illnesses among smokers, there is confusion among the general public about the health risks of nicotine. This study assessed the differences in the perception of risks related to smoking and nicotine among a highly educated population. A survey of 1610 full-time faculty members at the Belknap and Health Sciences Center (HSC) campuses of the University of Louisville collected information on the perception of harm resulting from cigarettes and nicotine with respect to four health domains (general health, heart attack/stroke, all cancer, and oral cancer). While virtually all faculty members correctly perceived cigarettes as moderate or high risk for all health domains, 78–91% also perceived nicotine in the same way, with somewhat higher proportions from the Belknap campus. With respect to a direct comparison, about two-thirds of respondents scored cigarettes as riskier than nicotine, but HSC respondents were no more likely than men to respond correctly. The study documents that highly educated individuals, including health professionals, are aware of the consequences of cigarette smoking, but are inadequately informed about nicotine. Health promotion and education programs are necessary to correct these misperceptions and empower smokers to utilize noncombustible nicotine products to avoid the deadly consequences of smoking. The US Food and Drug Administration, which since 2009 has had regulatory authority over both tobacco and pharmaceutical nicotine, could serve as an important educational resource for this endeavor.

• Cigarettes
• nicotine
• risk perception