Doctors should kick the habit of smoking

By Chong Zi (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-23 09:11

Guess what, more than half of our male doctors are smokers.

A survey found that there are 350 million puffers on the Chinese mainland and more than 1 million people die of tobacco-related diseases every year. It is reported that 70 percent of people who quit smoking do so on their doctors' suggestion. So doctors are supposed to be the best source of support for smokers to quit the bad habit - their advice on healthy lifestyles should be nothing but convincing.

However, some of doctors are bad role models. Last week's national conference on respiratory diseases in Xi'an, Shaanxi province engaged doctors in tobacco control. More than 2,000 respiratory doctors promised to quit smoking.

This is a good start.

Doctors and other healthcare professionals are highly respected. They probably have the greatest potential of any group in society to promote a reduction in tobacco use, and thus, in due course, a reduction in tobacco-induced mortality and morbidity. They have a unique potential to contribute to tobacco control in several complementary ways: as role models in not smoking, or quitting smoking; in counseling patients not to smoke; in providing treatmentto help people quit smoking; and in organizing and speaking out publicly and lobbying for comprehensive public policies to control tobacco use. It is important to encourage medical professionals to give up smoking and to embrace the key role they play in helping others curtail their tobacco use.