[Knowledge, opinions and tobacco consumption in a French faculty of medicine]

Tobacco consumption among French physicians is regularly followed-up and well-known; however, there is little information concerning the smoking habits of medical students even though they are the physicians of the future. How do they behave? Do they smoke? More or less than the other populations of the same age?

All the students of a Parisian medical school were surveyed with a self-questionnaire completed and collected just before the exams at the end of the year. The questionnaire incorporated both past and present smoking habits and also the students' knowledge and opinions on tobacco consumption.

A total of 681 students replied. More than one-third were smokers (34.6%) among which 21.0% smoked every day and 13.6% smoked occasionally. Gender had no influence on prevalence rate and both men and women smoked a comparable number of cigarettes per day (males 12.0 cig/day, females 10.4 cig/day). Eleven percent were former smokers and 68.4% would like to quit. Nearly 100% believed that cigarette smoke can bother others and 75% felt they were exemplary figures for others on the subject of tobacco use. Finally, two-thirds of the students smoked light cigarettes.

The smoking habits of medical students are similar to those of the general population of the same age. It is necessary to develop specific prevention programs for medical students because they will play an important public health role in the future in reducing the prevalence of tobacco consumption in France.