A November 20, 2005 article by Chresten Anderson quotes an op-ed by Brad Rodu and ACSH's Jeff Stier, which made the point that it is specifically the tar from smoking that accounts for almost all tobacco-related health problems, not nicotine (which can be more safely acquired by chewing, for those who cannot beat nicotine altogether):
In a recent op-ed in the Washington Times (November 13), Brad Rodu and Jeff Stier criticize the American television network ABC for not telling the whole truth in its effort to educate the public about the dangers of cigarette smoking and about ways to quit. ABC correctly "portrays nicotine as powerfully addictive," they write. "ABC's Dr. Tim Johnson has it right: 'there is no more addictive substance than nicotine. It is harder to take control over the nicotine addiction than to take control over heroin, cocaine, or alcohol.' What Dr. Johnson didn't say is that nicotine does not cause cancer, or any other smoking-related illness. In fact, nicotine itself is no more dangerous than caffeine, another addictive drug consumed safely by millions of Americans" -- and millions of Europeans.