addicted to smoking or addicted to nicotine? a focus group study on perceptions of nicotine and addiction among US adult current smokers, former smokers, non-smokers and dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes.

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of a focus group study examining perceptions of nicotine and addiction among US adult smokers, former smokers, non-smokers, and dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. The study aimed to understand how these groups perceive nicotine, addiction, and the potential impact of a nicotine reduction policy.

Key Points:

* The study involved 115 participants divided into four groups: exclusive smokers, dual users, former smokers, and non-smokers.
* Participants were asked about their free associations with nicotine and addiction, and their responses varied based on their smoking status.
* Exclusive smokers and former smokers expressed strong negative perspectives about nicotine, while dual users were more positive or neutral. Non-smokers had varying levels of understanding, likely due to their lack of experience with nicotine.
* Participants tended to believe that nicotine is addictive, but that addiction results from more than just nicotine.
* after showing messages about the VLNC policy, participants across all groups discussed that reducing nicotine would not necessarily reduce the addictiveness of cigarettes because of the multi-factorial nature of smoking addiction.
* The study found that the experiential mode of thinking, which is affective, associative, and intuitive, consistently predicts smoking behaviors.
* Participants mostly believed that nicotine causes several diseases attributed to smoking, but some groups mentioned the positive psychoactive effects of nicotine.

Main Message:
The main message of this study is that personal experience with tobacco products shapes how people talk about nicotine and addiction. Exclusive smokers and former smokers expressed strong negative perspectives about nicotine, while dual users were more positive or neutral. Participants tended to believe that nicotine is addictive, but that addiction results from more than just nicotine. after showing messages about the VLNC policy, participants across all groups discussed that reducing nicotine would not necessarily reduce the addictiveness of cigarettes because of the multi-factorial nature of smoking addiction. The study suggests that effectively communicating the rationale for a nicotine reduction policy and addressing misunderstandings about nicotine and addiction is critical to maximizing the potential health benefits of this policy.

Loud EE, Duong hT, henderson KC, et al. addicted to smoking or addicted to nicotine? a focus group study on perceptions of nicotine and addiction among US adult current smokers, former smokers, non-smokers and dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. addiction (abingdon, England). 2022;117(2):472-481. doi:10.1111/add.15634