Conversations with patients about smoking focus on the health risks of smoking and the benefits of cutting down or quitting.
- 91% of physicians proactively discuss smoking with their patients who smoke (at least sometimes)
- 90% consider it a priority
- 45% recommend counseling/therapy.
Physicians are likely to attribute specific negative health consequences to nicotine
- 86% of physicians believe that combustion causes more harm than nicotine.
- 64% to 77% believe that nicotine is a direct cause of various smoking-related ailments, with many believing completely
70% of physicians have had at least some training on smoking cessation. Only 23% were trained in medical school, the rest were self-trained (40%) or trained after medical school (37%)
90% of physicians are at least moderately interested in training
86% of physicians believe that combustion is more harmful than nicotine. 64%-77% of physicians believe that nicotine directly causes various smoking-related conditions, with 19% to 32% believing strongly.