Change in smoking habits in a general practice.

Aims IN the summer of 1970 (Handel, 1973) I decided to follow up patients in my general practice and to record any change in their smoking habits, in an attempt to throw some light on the possible effectiveness of a general practitioner in stopping patients smoking. Between June 1970 and March 1971 one hundred patients were recruited to this study. The patients were smokers with whom I had had no previous discussion of their smoking habits. Patients were not chosen strictly at random but where time and opportunity for discussion arose. The patients consulted me for the following reasons: Respiratory infections 31 Cardiovascular disease 4 All other reasons 61 Accompanying other patients 4