Perceptions of relative risk of disease and addiction from cigarettes and snus

Abstract

The public is largely unaware of the lower global risk associated with snus compared to that of cigarettes, but little is known of perceptions of relative risks for specific diseases. Inveterate, daily and non-daily smokers’ perceptions of the relative snus/cigarette risk of cardiovascular disease, and of cancer of the lung, stomach, and oral cavity, and perceptions among smokers, snus users and dual users of the relative risk of nicotine addiction, was studied in a pooled sample from annual national surveys (2008-2011) performed by Statistics Norway.

The total sample included 2661 ever smokers and snus users aged 15-79 years old. 53 per cent were men, and the average age was 46.1 years. Compared to medical consensus, all smoker groups overestimated the relative risks of diseases from snus use, and inveterate smokers overestimated them significantly more than other groups.

For all diseases except lung cancer, the majority of smokers thought snus users were running a higher or equal risk. For lung cancer, 22 per cent believed that snus use gave a higher or equal risk. Smokers, snus users and dual users tended to think that snus and cigarettes were equally addictive products, while a somewhat higher proportion of those who had quit both products thought that cigarettes were more addictive. Increased knowledge of the relative health risks might give smokers an incitement to switch to snus, and prompt current dual users to stop smoking completely. Awareness could be improved by tailoring information at targeted groups, for example via the health care system.

Befolkningen er i stor grad ikke klar over den lavere globale risikoen assosiert med snusbruk i forhold til røyking. Vi vet lite om hvilke oppfatninger som finnes når det gjelder risikoen for spesifikke sykdommer. I artikkelen undersøkes hvordan tre ulike grupper av røykere ser på den relative snus/røyk-risikoen for hjerte/karsykdom, lungekreft, magekreft og munnhulekreft, samt hvordan snusere og røykere ser på risikoen for å bli nikotinavhengig med de to produktene.

Utvalget av røykere ble hentet fra nasjonale spørreundersøkelser fra årene 2008 til 2011, gjennomført av statistisk sentralbyrå. Totalt deltok 2661 livstidsrøykere og/ eller snusere, i alderen 15-79 år.

Sammenlignet med medisinsk konsensus overestimerte alle røykerne risikoen for sykdom fra snus relativt til røyk, og innbitte røykere overestimerte de mer enn andre. Både blant røykere og snusbrukere mente de fleste at snus og sigaretter er avhengighetsskapende i samme grad, mens det var noe mer vanlig blant ex-dobbeltbrukere å mene at sigaretter var mer avhengighetsskapende.