A real popular myth, nicotine is very often demonized and decried. Yet this admittedly addictive substance is clearly not as harmful as some people would have us believe. In a recent press release, it is Canadian Vaping Association which sheds light on this popular belief: No, nicotine does not cause cancer"
NICOTINE, NOT A MAJOR CARCINOGEN!
For many, nicotine is synonymous with smoking, which is a misconception that dates back to the days of smoking. Smoking is responsible for nearly 9 out of 10 cases of lung cancer and is known to cause various other forms of cancer. While nicotine is addictive, it is not carcinogenic and does not cause the harm of smoking. There is no significant scientific evidence linking major health problems to the use of nicotine alone. However, since nicotine enters the body along with many harmful chemicals when smoking combustible cigarettes, many people mistakenly believe that it is the nicotine in cigarettes that causes smoking problems. hazardous health such as cancer.
Vaping mimics the act of smoking, with the user inhaling vapor containing nicotine. Although they may seem similar, that is the limit of their resemblance. Vaping contains a fraction of the toxic chemicals found in tobacco smoke and eliminates combustion, but due to their visual resemblance the two products are often confused.
« Smokers often mistakenly believe that nicotine is a major carcinogen"Said the Dr Khayat, professor of oncology at the Pierre and Marie Curie University and head of the medical oncology department at the Pitié-Salpétrière hospital in Paris.
Regarding alternatives to reduced-risk smoking, Dr Khayat said: “ All of these alternatives, such as snus, e-cigarettes (vaping) and heated tobacco products 
(HTP), are found to be very effective in helping people quit real cigarettes which are very unhealthy. He also noted Cancer Research UK's conclusion: " Nicotine does not cause cancer, and people have been using nicotine replacement therapy safely for many years. NRTs are safe enough to be prescribed by doctors. »
It's no surprise that nicotine myths persist since polls show that most doctors still perceive nicotine as causing cancer. Canadian smokers would benefit from better access from physicians to seminars on non-combustion alternatives and modern risk reduction strategies.
Also, smokers are unaware that vaping products are a less harmful source of nicotine for those who take up vaping. A 2020 survey found that only 22% of current smokers agree that vaping is less harmful than cigarettes. This is likely due in part to misperceptions regarding nicotine.
« The lack of a clear message to smokers about reduced-risk alternatives, combined with widespread misinformation about vaping in the media, has contributed to lower uptake among smokers. We know that smoking kills half of its users and therefore we need to encourage reduced risk products for those who need to continue using nicotine to quit combustible tobacco" , said Darryl Tempest, Government Relations Advisor to the CVA Board.
