Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1543154
26 tobaccoasia Issue 1, 2026 January / February By Timothy S. Donahue Nicotine remains one of the most misunderstood chemicals in modern public health—and the consequences are now directly impacting nicotine and tobacco product regulation worldwide. A plethora of new evidence finds that tobacco and nicotine policymakers, regulators, and scientific stakeholders continue to hold mostly incorrect beliefs about nicotine's role in smoking‑related diseases. The misunderstandings directly influence product standards, slow down adult switch‑ ing, and distort debates around reduced‑risk nicotine delivery alternatives. A series of recent reports—ranging from international policy expert surveys to peer‑re‑ viewed behavioral studies and industry‑led communication research—conclude that nicotine misinformation is deeply rooted, persistent, and global. As governments impose strict restric‑ tions on next‑generation products, new data shows that most officials incorrectly identify nico‑ tine as "the primary cause" of smoking‑related harm, creating what British American Tobacco (BAT) calls "a fundamental barrier" to effective harm reduction policy. Policy misunderstanding BAT's 2025 multi‑market survey, conducted in collaboration with the public policy advisory firm Public First and released alongside its scientific insights briefing, provides one of the clear‑ est measures of the issue. The survey included policy experts from 15 countries across the US, Europe, Asia, and Latin America and found that 70% of respondents still believe nicotine causes cancer. BAT clearly stated: "Most experts misidentify nicotine as the primary cause of smoking‑ related diseases, despite scientific consensus that smoke (tar)—not nicotine—is responsible for the overwhelming majority of harm." BAT's chief strategy and growth officer, Kingsley Wheaton, stated that the findings high‑ light how deeply misinformation is ingrained among influential decision‑makers. "These results reveal a critical knowledge gap among policy influencers," he said. "When nicotine is incorrectly blamed for smoking‑related disease, it becomes harder for adult smokers to access accurate in‑ formation about alternatives that significantly reduce exposure to toxicants." Research: Policymakers Still Misunderstand Nicotine Misunderstandings about nicotine's role in smoking-related disease remain deeply rooted, persistent, and global. Credit: Ahsanjaya, Pexels. Nicotine DOES NOT Cause Cancer. Period.