An international survey of physicians found that 88 percent of doctors surveyed in India believed nicotine itself directly causes lung cancer, while 87 percent believed it directly causes atherosclerosis and 86 percent linked nicotine directly to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The survey was conducted by Sermo across 11 countries and questioned licensed physicians about their understanding of nicotine and smoking-related diseases. In India, 88 percent of respondents agreed to some extent that nicotine by itself directly causes lung cancer.
The findings represent widespread confusion among Indian health experts between nicotine and tobacco smoke. Nicotine is the addictive substance in tobacco, while cigarette smoke contains thousands of other chemicals responsible for much of the disease burden associated with smoking.
The distinction is important because tobacco smoking is firmly established as a cause of cancer, cardiovascular disease and lung disease. Nicotine itself is highly addictive and affects the cardiovascular system, but the health risks of smoking cannot simply be attributed to nicotine alone.
The survey also found substantial misconceptions among physicians in other countries, although the level varied significantly between nations.
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