[Influence of doctors' smoking habits on minimal advice for smoking cessation. A survey of 369 general practitioners in the department of Vienne, France].

Introduction: French doctors' smoking habits may interfere with the effectiveness of smoking prevention measures and particularly when providing minimal advice.

Objectives: To assess the smoking habits of general practitioners in the department of Vienne, France, and to study how they affect minimal advice for smoking cessation.

Method: 257 general practitioners took part in a phone survey (26.5%) or answered a written questionnaire (73.5%). The questions bore on socio-demographic characteristics, smoking habits and the of minimal advice provided whether partial or whole. Do you smoke? If so, have you ever thought of quitting?

Results: The participation rate was 70%. 26% of the participants were current smokers--16 % regular smokers, 10% infrequent smokers, 30% had quit and 44% had never smoke. 44.4% investigated smoking habits as a matter of course, and 41% provided intensive advice for smoking cessation. Doctors who had never smoked gave more advice than those who currently smoked or had quit.

Discussion: A comparison with former studies reveals that the number of doctors who smoke has decreased. However, minimal intervention on smoking cessation is put into practice by less than half of the doctors.

Conclusion: The incidence of smoking among doctors in the Department of Vienne remains too high and minimal intervention on smoking cessation is still insufficient. However, doctors who had never smoked provided minimal advice more often than those who currently smoked or had quit.