Belief in misinformation about nicotine is especially problematic and this new study found it to be associated with a greater likelihood of relapsing from quitting vaping. Young adult vapers attempting to quit vaping who recalled and believed at least one misinformation claim about the therapeutic potential of nicotine were significantly more likely to have relapsed – reporting that they had vaped in the past 30 days – compared to those who did not recall or believe such claims. In fact, every piece of misinformation a young adult believed was associated with a 55% increase in odds of a relapse.
The research highlights the need to counter health misinformation about COVID-19. Tobacco prevention and quitting programs should explicitly counter misinformation about the alleged health benefits of nicotine and vaping, the authors write.