Many Docs Don't Volunteer Antismoking Advice

THURSDAY, July 21, 2005 (HealthDay News) -- If smokers want their doctors to help them quit smoking, more than likely they'll have to pipe up and ask for that assistance.

That's according to a new survey that finds physicians less forthcoming with antismoking advice than experts would hope.

The survey of over 4,200 smokers nationwide found that those who asked for help in quitting were much more likely to receive advice and assistance from their doctors, according to lead author Virginia P. Quinn, a researcher with the Kaiser Permanente Southern California health maintenance organization.

"The strongest predictor of these cessation services was a request for help," Quinn wrote in the article. "This is of concern, since only 27 percent of smokers in this study asked for help, and even among the presumably more motivated smokers planning to quit, only a third requested help."

The goal of the study was to review the effectiveness of the "5 A" program, a five-step process to reduce cigarette smoking, which is recommended by the United States Public Health Service.

Although doctors asked nine of every 10 smokers about their habit and advised more than two-thirds to quit, only about half were assessed for their willingness to quit or given assistance for quitting.

More information

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has more about smoking cessation.