Physicians' Smoking and Its Exemplary Effect

Abstract

Data presented are based on more than one hundred surveys on physicians' smoking, camed out in 31 countries since 1951. Prevalences by gender are shown in two figures. For 13 countries, it is possible to compare the trend in smoking prevalence among physicians with the trend among the general population. In ten countries, smoking prevalences decreased over time for male physicians and the general populatioo. This suggests a positive influence of the physicians' example in those countries.

An international review of tobacco smoking in the medical profession: 1974–2004

“…Although medical professionals have many opportunities to reduce the prevalence of smoking among their patients, physicians may have not yet maximized their efforts in meeting the tobacco epidemic. Doctors incur a certain responsibility as exemplars for patients with regard to healthy behaviour [118], as well as the public image they inadvertently portray outside of the work environment [119]. Having any physicians who smoke may increase public scepticism, with people inclined to ask why should they stop smoking when their doctor continues to do so?…”

Attitudes and behaviours in smoking cessation among general practitioners in Finland 2001

“…In previ- (58) 14 (2) 10 (2) 14 (54) 0.178 * Question: "Do you advise patients in the following cases not to smoke?". Answer: "never, sometimes, always" (data presented on "always" only) ¹ Always = at every consultation Adriaanse & van Reek 1989). Given the physician role as exemplars for the general population, a low smoking prevalence among GPs in Finland offers good basic conditions for smoking cessation even though smoking did not decrease any further after 1995.…”

“…Furthermore, physicians' own smoking has been proposed to restrict them from advising their patients to quit smoking (Chapman 1995). In addition, physicians' smoking behaviour has showed to infl uence the smoking behaviour of their patients (Van Reek & Adriaanse 1991;Adriaanse & van Reek 1989). Even though smoking advice from a GP signifi cantly increases quit rates among patients who smoke, smoking is not discussed during most routine consultations with smokers.…”

Parental smoking and sociodemographic factors related to smoking among German medical students

“…Such efforts could include, among others, offers of smoking cessation classes and a stronger emphasis on epidemiology and preventive medicine in the curriculum of medical school. The experience of other countries, such as the United States, in which smoking prevalence in general and among physicians and medical students in particular has decreased dramatically in recent years [3,[9][10][11] demonstrates that major progress against the smoking epidemic can be achieved within a reasonable period of time in the context of concerted public health efforts.…”

“…In many European countries, however, such as Portugal, Greece, France, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany, a large proportion of physicians and other health professionals continue to smoke themselves [3][4][5][6][7][8]. In contrast, smoking prevalence has declined dramatically among physicians in other countries, such as Great Britain and the United States [3,[9][10]. In these countries, the decline of smoking rates among physicians preceded a decline of smoking prevalence in the general population.…”