Smoking Habits and Attitudes of the Members of the Thoracic Society

This study was carried out in 1995 to determine the smoking ratio of the members of the Turkish Thoracic Society, to estimate their knowledge level about smoking related diseases and to learn their opinions about tobacco control. The questionnaire proposed by WHO for health personnel was adapted and added some questions,and we carried out the questionnaire survey among 925 members (total number of members is 928); and 48% of them (n: 925) responded. The proportion of daily smoker was 22.3% (n: 100), and an occasional smoker was 13.0% (n: 58) (total smokers ratio was 35.3%). Sixty-three (14.1%) of the members have smoked more than 6 months and then quitted (ex-smokers). Most of the medical doctors (n:427, 95.5%) considered smoking as hazardous addiction for health. But, the relationship of the smoking and some health conditions such as soft tissue lesions, neonatal death, cancer of bladder, leukoplakia and cerebro-vascular diseases was not recognized by 23.0%, 16.6%, 12.1%, 11.9% and 7.2% of physicians respectively. When the patient has not asked about smoking and/or any smoking related disease diagnosis and symptoms were identified, 126 (28.2%) physicians have not adviced to stop smoking. This finding evaluated in contradiction with the thought that “the persuasion of smokers to quit smoking was the responsibility of the physician” of 79.9% of the physicians. Physicians who smoke may have difficulty promoting healthy behavior among their patients, and they must be offered help in order to quit. For this reason, the physicians should be considered an initial group in the smoking cessation studies before then the other model people such as teachers and other leaders in the population. The education about the harmful health effects of smoking, smoking related diseases, methods of tobacco control and smoking cessation techniques were necessary for all health professionals, medical students, medical doctors, and especially chest specialists in order to carry out succesfull preventive and smoking cessation studies.