Background The costs associated with respiratory illnesses in the French healthcare budget continue to rise. However, pharmaceutical companies and research centres are continuously developing new treatments. Consequently, accepting these treatments, which necessitates the acceptance of the mortality risk associated with their use, represents a significant economic and public health issue. Our study aims to assess this acceptance. Methods The data were obtained from an online questionnaire completed by 315 respondents located in France during June and July 2019. The standard gamble method was employed to ascertain the acceptability of risk. This method quantifies the ‘disutility’ of a health state by evaluating the extent to which an individual is willing to accept a specific mortality risk in exchange for avoiding the state. Results The study demonstrated that individuals, irrespective of their personal characteristics, were willing to accept a treatment with an average mortality risk of less than 19%. The findings revealed discrepancies between individuals’ perceptions of mortality and actual risks. Conclusions In France, it is incumbent upon public decision-makers and research centres to ensure that treatment-related mortality rates remain below 19% so that patients readily accept treatment, irrespective of their personal characteristics. In addition, they should provide further information on the risks associated with treating respiratory diseases to avoid a discrepancy between the mortality risks perceived by individuals and the actual risks.