Do Smokers’ Perceptions of the harmfulness of Nicotine Replacement Therapy and Nicotine Vaping Products as Compared to Cigarettes Influence Their Use as an aid for Smoking Cessation? Findings from the ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Surveys.

Introduction:
This text discusses a prospective cohort study examining the relationship between harm perceptions of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and nicotine vaping products (NVPs) relative to cigarettes and their use as smoking cessation aids. The study aims to understand how harm perceptions would influence the extent of NRT and NVP use for smoking cessation and whether country variations exist.

Key Points:

* The study analyzed data from the International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Surveys in australia, Canada, England, and the United States.
* The study focused on current daily smokers who reported making a quit attempt by Wave 2 of the survey.
* harm perceptions of NRT and NVPs were categorized as much less harmful, somewhat less harmful, equally/more harmful, or do not know.
* The study found that smokers who perceived NRT and NVPs as much less harmful than cigarettes were more likely to use them as a quit aid during their last quit attempt.
* Those who perceived NVPs as much less harmful than cigarettes were less likely to use NRT as a quit aid.
* There was little statistical evidence for an interaction between country and relative harm perceptions of NRT or NVPs on use of NRT or NVPs during Lqa.
* The study suggests that education and accurate messaging around the harms of NRT and NVPs are needed to ensure that smokers can make informed choices about using these products as quit aids.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of accurate harm perceptions in influencing the use of nicotine products as smoking cessation aids. Misperceptions of NRT and NVP harmfulness may undermine their use for smoking cessation, and education and accurate messaging are needed to ensure that smokers can make informed choices about using these products as quit aids. The study found no clear evidence of country variations in the perception-behavior associations, indicating that the effects are likely related to beliefs rather than country context.

Yong hh, Gravely S, Borland R, et al. Do Smokers’ Perceptions of the harmfulness of Nicotine Replacement Therapy and Nicotine Vaping Products as Compared to Cigarettes Influence Their Use as an aid for Smoking Cessation? Findings from the ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Surveys. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2022;24(9):1413-1421. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntac087