For decades, we’ve been told that nicotine itself is the problem. But new research confirms what many have long suspected: it’s not nicotine that kills — it’s the smoke.
A new white paper, Getting Smart on Reduced Harm, shows just how widespread the confusion is among doctors and nurses. Nearly half of medical providers in America wrongly think nicotine causes cancer. Even worse, that figure rises to almost 60% among those who treat the most smokers. That means the very people best positioned to help adults quit cigarettes don’t have the facts straight.
The result? Millions of Americans who could switch to better, FDA-authorized alternatives — products already shown to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals — aren’t being told the truth. Instead, they’re left with cigarettes, the most dangerous way to use nicotine.
This isn’t about letting Big Government push people around. It’s about allowing adults who smoke to make informed choices. If you’re 21 or older and choose to keep using nicotine, you deserve to know that there are products out there that are far less harmful than continuing to light up.
Even former HHS Secretary Tom Price said it clearly: “Science ought to be dictating our policy. And sadly, from a health standpoint, science hasn’t dictated policy in the area of tobacco consumption, especially with [authorized] smoke-free products.”
The FDA’s job is simple: cut the red tape, share the facts, and let adults make their own choices. Quitting entirely will always be the best option, but for the millions of Americans who won’t quit, better alternatives exist — and it’s time Washington stopped standing in the way.
Alton Phillips
