Introduction: In Poland about 30% of the adult population are smokers. Consequently, smoking can be considered a social disease. Nicotinism is addictive, both pharmacologically and psychologically. All smokers should be encouraged to quit smoking. Aims of this study were: to evaluate whether doctors ask their patients about their smoking habits and offer them pharmacotherapy, to assess behavioral counselling aimed at supporting the motivation to cease smoking and to estimate the efficacy of the treatment.

Material and methods: Study population comprised 201 patients: 94 smokers; 43 ex-smokers and 64 non-smokers (as controls). They answered questions concerning smoking habits, smokers within the family, information and advice from doctors, attempts to quit smoking, chest X-ray and spirometry. Survey results were analysed.

Results: The survey results have shown that 71% of smokers admit to having smokers in the immediate families, compared to 60% of ex-smokers and 50% of non-smokers; 88% of smokers and 93% of ex-smokers have never been offered pharmacotherapy and/or behavioural counseling and 66% of smokers and 98% of ex-smokers have tried to quit smoking on their own. 30% of smokers did not know what spirometry was and 61% of them have never had it.

Conclusions: Smokers are more likely to have smokers among family members. Although doctors inform patients about health consequences of smoking, our study (have) showed that pharmacotherapy for nicotinism was used only occasionally. Most smokers have tried to give up smoking, albeit ineffectively. Two thirds of smokers have never had spirometry.