Smoking Behavior,Knowledge and Opinion of Medical Students

Abstract

A questionnaire survey on smoking was conducted among 395 medical students (40% males, 60% females) at the School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia at Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. Thirty-five students (9%), all of them males, were current smokers. Twenty-eight percent of the smokers smoked more than ten cigarettes per day and 88% began smoking before entering the medical school. Social influence and cigarette advertisements were the main reasons given for starting smoking. Both smokers and non-smokers were adequately informed of the common adverse effects of smoking. Ninety percent of smokers had tried to give up smoking but failed. Among the ex-smokers and non-smokers, the main reasons given for not smoking was that smoking was useless. Among the female students, one-third felt that cigarette smoking was socially unacceptable among females. This was one of the three main reasons for not smoking. Very few of the students (4.6%) considered that doctors' advice would play an important role in smoking prevention.