Many smokers still make false assumptions

Despite efforts to educate people on the dangers of smoking, a new survey conducted by the American Legacy Foundation and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare reveals that many smokers still harbor profound misperceptions about smoking and treatments to help them quit.

While smokers are aware that smoking can lead to serious health problems such as lung cancer, many underestimate the risks of smoking.

Two of three smokers underestimate the chance of developing lung cancer compared to a nonsmoker, and four in 10 incorrectly believe that developing lung cancer depends more on genes than anything else.

Furthermore, the survey found that up to a third of smokers mistakenly believe that activities such as exercise and taking vitamins can "undo" most of the effects of smoking.

Nicotinerelated misperceptions can prevent the appropriate use of smoking cessation aids, such as nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs). While smoking has been proven to cause cancer, heart disease and lung disease, NRTs aren't known to be associated with any serious harmful effects. In fact, more than 76 percent of smokers surveyed incorrectly believe or were unsure whether NRT products such as the gum, patch and lozenge were just as addictive as cigarettes. Of the smokers in the survey who had previously tried quitting with NRT products, 76 percent were not using it as directed.

"What is alarming about these survey findings is that so many smokers are still so misinformed," said Dr. Cheryl Healton, president and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation.

Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., and currently 44.5 million adults smoke.

The only proven way to reduce the threat of tobacco-related disease is to quit smoking, and many smokers need help to quit successfully.

For more information about how to stop smoking, visit www.way2quit.com.

This story provided by North American Precis Syndicate Inc.