STOPTOBER: Nearly 6 in 10 British Doctors Mistakenly Believe Nicotine Causes Lung Cancer, Endangering Efforts to Help More Than Six Million Brits Quit

The 12^th annual Stoptober campaign has begun with public health organisations across the country seeking to help smokers quit

However, a poll conducted by Sermo has found that there is widespread misunderstanding among clinicians as to how best to support smokers

• 60% of British doctors on average incorrectly believe nicotine causes both lung cancer and 65% believe it causes atherosclerosis.
• While on average 89% of doctors at least moderately agree that helping patients quit smoking is a priority, a lack of training and nicotine knowledge adversely impacts how they give smoking patients quitting and harm reduction advice.
• 1 in 2 UK doctors says they are not appropriately trained to help patients quit smoking.

LONDON, Oct. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 6 in 10 doctors in the UK mistakenly attribute negative health consequences of smoking to nicotine, directly jeopardising efforts made in helping smokers quit, a survey funded by a Foundation for a Smoke-Free World grant has found.

The misconception about the dangers of nicotine among British doctors leaves 60% believing it directly causes lung cancer. A similar number (59%) mistakenly believe nicotine causes head, neck, and gastric cancers and 56% say it causes bladder cancer.

Sermo, an independent platform and leader in actionable healthcare professional insights, surveyed more than 15,000 doctors online in 11 countries (China, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Africa, United Kingdom, and the United States).

At a global level, the proportion of doctors who mistakenly attribute negative health consequences of smoking to nicotine rises to a staggering 8 in 10.

While in Britain, 89% of doctors at least moderately agree helping patients quit smoking is a priority, it's troubling that on average 6 in 10 doctors incorrectly believe nicotine causes a range of illnesses from cancer to COPD.

This raises serious concerns about the ability of UK doctors to equip patients who smoke with the most accurate and effective advice on how to quit, backed up by the survey finding that half of doctors in the UK admit they are not appropriately trained to help patients quit smoking.

Smoking remains the single biggest cause of preventable illness and death in England. Latest figures estimate smoking costs the NHS £2.4 billion a year.

In 2022, the UK Government commissioned an independent report looking at how to ensure the country is smokefree by 2030. Among the recommendations was a call for clinicians to improve their knowledge levels and offer improved advice, and to encourage the use of vaping. The new poll highlights there is still a lot of work to do to match the government's ambitions.

"Patients place trust in doctors to give them sound health care and treatment options that can help prevent illness and disease," said Dr. Muhammad Ahmed, Director of Health and Science Research, Foundation for a Smoke-Free World. "It is therefore imperative that doctors get the proper training to learn the facts about nicotine.

"To achieve a smoke-free England, and as we recover from a global pandemic, providing doctors with concise, up to date, and evidence-based information on tobacco harm reduction and smoking cessation tools, delivered by peers who understand ground realities, should be a top priority. 

"As Stoptober gets underway, with smokers across the UK attempting to quit, there is no better time for us to raise the alarm. Millions of lives in the UK depend on it."

Although the misperceptions are alarming, on average 83% of British physicians surveyed are at least moderately interested in training focused on smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction. Nearly 7 in 10 (69%) British doctors said learning about the effectiveness of different smoking reduction and cessation products and methods would be of greatest interest when undertaking training.

The Doctors' Survey findings for the UK can be accessed on the Foundation's website at www.smokefreeworld.org/doctorssurvey/united-kingdom/.

The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World invites researchers to submit proposals to further analyse the Doctors' Survey findings and propose programs that would help improve doctors' fluency about smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction. Researchers interested in submitting a proposal should contact support@smokefreeworld.org.

About Stoptober
Stoptober is the annual campaign under the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities' umbrella brand, 'Better Health Let's Do This' that encourages smokers across the country to join in and give quitting a go for the month of October. Research shows people are five times more likely to quit for good if they can make it to at least 28 days smoke free.

About the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World
The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World is an independent, U.S. nonprofit 501(c)(3) grantmaking organization with the purpose of improving global health by ending smoking in this generation. The Foundation supports its mission through three broad categories of work: Health and Science Research; Agricultural Diversification; and Industry Transformation. Funded by annual gifts from PMI Global Services Inc. ("PMI"), the Foundation is independent from PMI and operates in a manner that ensures its independence from any commercial entity. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.smokefreeworld.org. 

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