The results of questionnaires given to 673 male and female physicians, pertaining to smoking habits, were compared with the Czech population with a similar age distribution according to results of the MONICA study. Male doctors smoke less frequently than men of the Czech population (24.2% vs. 44.9%). Female doctors smoke more frequently than male doctors, and what is worse, more frequently than women in the Czech population (27.4% vs. 26.6%). Specialists in internal medicine smoke least frequently (17.4%), surgeons smoke most frequently (32.3%). Partners of male and female smokers smoke more frequently than partners of non-smokers. Husbands more frequently than wives. Smokers are more frequently ignorant of their other risk factors. The authors present also data from some European and overseas countries. In countries where the number of smokers among medical doctors declines, there is also a decline of smoking in the general population. In the USA, Great Britain, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden smoking habits declined among physicians during the past 30 years 3-6x.

Keywords: Adult; Czechoslovakia /epidemiology/; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Physicians; Smoking /epidemiology/