DURING the four weeks before National No Smoking Day in 1986, all smokers attending an inner London general practice were asked to attempt to stop. The surgery was attended by 586 adults, 262 of whom were smokers. Eighty nine (34 per cent) of the smokers promised to try to stop, and these were fol lowed up by a postal questionnaire after three months. At least 72 per cent of those who had pledged to stop tried to do so and 57 per cent stopped for one day. After three months, eight per cent of those who had promised to stop were still not smok ing. Assuming that none of those who did not pledge to stop actually did so, this is equivalent to three per cent of all smokers who were consulted.
The results are comparable to those of other studies of general practitioners giving advice against smoking, and suggest that linking the advice given in routine consultations to a national cam paign is both acceptable and effective.
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