Views of Ontarians about health professionals' smoking cessation advice

Background: Health professionals have important roles in helping smokers quit. However, it is not known how the public, especially smokers, view smoking cessation advice from different health professionals. Methods: We added questions regarding opinions and experiences with health professionals' smoking cessation advice to the 2002 CAMH Monitor, an annual random-digit-dialled survey of adult Ontarians. We report on how good a source of advice physicians, pharmacists, and dentists are perceived to be, how likely smokers are to consult each of these professionals, who smokers would ask for advice on the use of NRT, and advice received by smokers in the past year. Results: About two thirds of respondents viewed physicians as a very good source of advice on quitting, compared to just over one third and about one quarter who thought this of pharmacists and dentists, respectively. Over half of current smokers would be very likely to ask a physician for quit advice, compared to about 20% and only 3% for a pharmacist or a dentist, respectively. Among smokers, over 40% would first ask a physician for advice on NRT; about 20% would first ask a pharmacist. About 42% and 8% of current smokers reported that they received advice in the past year from a physician and pharmacist, respectively. Interpretation: Smokers are receptive to quit advice from physicians, but less likely to ask other health professionals. Few smokers received advice from pharmacists and dentists. Increasing the reach of quit advice requires both increased professional intervention and education of the public.