[Smoking in professional soccer players in France]

An enquiry was conducted to determine the smoking habits of coaches and professional soccer players in the first and second division of the French championship in 1993 and 1994. The rate of response was 31% for coaches (36 responded) and 54% for players (257 responded). Among the coaches, 19% were smokers, 14% were ex-smokers and 67% were non-smokers; for players, the rates were 36%, 3% and 71% respectively. The percentage of smokers was higher in second division players (31%) than in first division players (20%). Forty percent smoked less than 6 cigarettes a day. Fifty-eight percent of the coaches and 39% of the players thought that smoking and sports were compatible. This study shows that even the highest level sports are not spared from the effect of smoking. Other reports of similar smoking habits have been reported in other sports in France. The image of athletes who smoke given by the media is in contradiction with the national French policy forbidding tobacco advertising in stadiums.