Addressing Misinformation

Misperceptions about the harms of nicotine and tobacco products are widespread among the public, tobacco users, and even health care providers.

 

Research shows that many adult smokers overestimate the risks of FDA-authorized nicotine replacement therapies such as patches and gum, which reduces their likelihood of using these proven tools during quit attempts. Likewise, the majority of health professionals mistakenly believe that nicotine itself causes cancer.

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Rather than focusing on the facts, the public discourse from many mainstream tobacco control groups includes false and sensationalized information regarding nicotine.

 

We support a range of efforts to address misinformation including DEBUNKIFY, our crowd-sourced campaign that empowers Network members to flag and counter false claims on social media with the facts.