Why risk perception matters for quitting smoking

Cigarettes are one of the deadliest products on the market—but the risks of alternatives are not always clearly understood. That disconnect came into sharp focus in 2019, when headlines warned of a mysterious and sometimes deadly lung illness linked to vaping, sending patients to the hospital with severe breathing problems. The coverage fueled widespread concern, and many smokers began to mistakenly view e-cigarettes as just as or more dangerous than traditional cigarettes.