Tobacco habits : attitudes and beliefs among the Maltese medical and dental profession

Abstract

Health professionals, particularly doctors and dentists are the vanguard of any society’s battle against tobacco. They are knowledgeable on the impact of tobacco smoking on health and generally receive updated scientific information on this relationship. Doctors and dentists both witness the effects of smoking on their patients, often on a daily basis. They are inevitably viewed as role-models for health related behaviour, influencing that of their patients as well as their families. In their turn patients are quick to point out particular doctors who smoke as a justification for their own habits. It is, therefore, of particular interest to study the habits of doctors and dentists, as well as their attitudes to this particular form of risk behaviour and to assess their collective views.