Background
: Family physicians may be interested in the health promotion and disease prevention, and they are capable of advising their patients to stop smoking. There may exist some difference between smokers and nonsmokers in the attitude toward their patient's smoking. We surveyed to know the family physician's attitude to the patient's smoking and the difference between smoking and nonsmoking groups.

Methods : A questionnaire was mailed in July and September 1993 to 2,528 family physician in Korea who is legistrated in the Korea Academy of Family Medicine. After then we analyzed 1,122 questionnaires(44.4%) which were responded through three groups ; nonsmoking, ex-smoking and smoking group.

Results : The respondent included no-smokers(38.0%), ex-smokers(34.4%) and smokers(27.6%). The physicians with opinion that the patient's smoking is addiction of nicotine were 47.9% in average and there was significant difference among the three groups(P<0.01). The physicians who assess the patient's smoking only in case of the patient's smoking related disease were 56.9% and there was significant difference among the three groups(P<0.01). The physicians who answered that the advice to quit smoking to their patients is effective were 94.0%. The physicians who answered that the reasons for no advice to quit smoking were that the patients were not interested to smoking cessation and lacked motivation were 47.8%. In the methods which the physicians use for the smoking cessation, the explanation about the relation between smoking and disease and advice to quit smoking was 85.1%.

Conclusion : There is significant difference in some knowledges and attitudes to patients' smoking according to the physicians' smoking status. The methods which physicians use for the smoking cessation were not various or insufficient. Family physicians must endeavour to quit smoking first and it must be continuous for them to assess the patients' smoking status and to develop and supply the materials and programs on smoking cessation.