Smoking behaviour of Dutch general practitioners in the period 1977-1983

Between 1977 and 1983 roughly half of the Dutch general practitioners were smokers. The percentage of smokers was decreasing, both among general practitioners and in the general Dutch population. The number of smoking male general practitioners was higher than for men in general and considerably higher than in the highest socioeconomic bracket. Among general practitioners the daily consumption of manufactured and handrolled cigarettes was lower while the cigar consumption was higher. In most countries physician smoking behaviour antedates that of the general population but in Holland general practitioners' smoking habits are about four years behind that of the general population. It seems that Dutch general practitioners attribute little value to the role of setting an example in health behaviour, especially where it concerns their own smoking habits.