Smoking, smoking cessation and otorhinolaryngologists in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Otorhinolaryngologists are directly involved in the diagnosis and management of smoking related diseases, including upper airway malignancy. It is important that the specialists have skills to treat smoking and nicotine dependence. It is also known that there are smokers amongst doctors.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the opinions and practices of the otorhinolaryngologists of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, concerning smoking and nicotine dependence, and evaluation of smoking habits of the specialists.


METHODS
Cross-sectional.


METHODS
We randomly selected 600 otorhinolaryngologists of Sao Paulo State, Brazil. A survey was mailed to the specialists in March 2005. We gathered data received from March to May 2005.


RESULTS
There were 209 respondents. Forty-seven specialists (46.4%) rated themselves as moderately familiar with the methods for treatment of nicotine dependence, and 60 (28.7%) as unsatisfactorily familiar. One hundred and forty-four respondents (68.9%) have never smoked, 50 (23.9%) were former-smokers, nine (4.3%) were occasional smokers and six (2.9%) were regular smokers.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of smoking in the sample of 209 otorhinolaryngologists of Sao Paulo State, Brazil, was 7.1%.
Balbani
Aracy Pereira Silveira
AP
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical School of Botucatu, Paulista State University (UNESP), Brazil. a_balbani@hotmail.com
Montovani
Jair Cortez
JC
de Carvalho
Lidia Raquel
LR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016642:Bupropion / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D016642:Bupropion