Smokers commonly misperceive that nicotine is a major carcinogen: National survey data

[...]in a USA-based study it was found that 65% of smokers believed nicotine causes lung cancer and 71% believed it caused oral cancer. 3 Furthermore, some smokers regard nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as also being carcinogenic. 4 These findings are concerning since misperceptions about nicotine may result in underutilisation of NRT. [...]we aimed to assess these views in New Zealand (NZ) smokers, with the context being a country in which NRT is provided in a heavily subsidised form and widely distributed via the national quitline service.