[Physician-initiated smoking cessation program]

The detrimental effects of smoking are well-known, but physicians have generally been unsuccessful in eliminating this serious public health problem. It has been suggested that the family physician is the ideal person to give antismoking advice and to initiate a treatment program. The aim of this study was to examine intervention by family physicians in cigarette smoking. 93 smokers who presented for routine medical treatment at their family medical clinic were assigned alternately to a study or control group. The study group participated in a 10-minute antismoking counselling session given by their family physician, while the control group did not. After 15 months, 55% of the treated group had decreased their daily cigarette intake or stopped smoking completely, as compared to 39% of the control group. 5 (11%) of those who participated in the counselling session reported that they had stopped smoking completely, compared with 2 (4.3%) in the control group. We suggest that antismoking advice by the family physician is essential in the fight against the smoking epidemic and would significantly reduce the degree of smoking.