Smoking Cessation Resource Center: Today's Smoking Cessation News

Majority of Patients Fear Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) Is Harmful

Sixty-seven percent of current and former smokers mistakenly believe that medicinal nicotine products may be as harmful as cigarettes, according to a study presented at the 2005 Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco Annual Meeting in Prague.

"The problem is that bad information about these products is more widespread than the truth," said Saul Shiffman, PhD, lead author of the study, and a professor of psychology and pharmaceutical science at the University of Pittsburgh. "The fact that so many people don't know the difference between the carcinogens and toxins delivery by smoking cigarettes and the medicinal nicotine in these smoking-cessation products means that millions of smokers are missing an important opportunity for help."

Furthermore, Dr. Shiffman noted that medicinal nicotine products are very safe. They are proven to help smokers quit, and are recommended to doctors as first-line therapy for quitting in the 2000 U.S. Public Health Service Guideline.

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