[Smoking among nursing students]

Smoking as a major public-health concern is still a widespread habit among nurses and young students of nursing. The hypothesis however, that professional environment positively influences smoking habit, could not be supported: smoking is less influenced by vocational training and practice than by the social environment of the students. The results of the survey also show, that a great part of the smokers have a critical attitude towards their habit and would agree to counteractions. Nursing schools could play an important role therein. The conception of nursing as a responsible health profession would demand to take over a more active part in considering the consequences, in smoking prevention and in supporting cessation.