Objective: To determine the self-reported practices of primary care physicians and dentists in reducing tobacco exposure and use in their patients as a baseline measurement for the local tobacco control coalition.  The setting was Jefferson County, KY, which currently has the second highest smoking rate in the nation for adults and youth.

METHODS:  A one-page survey was mailed to all identifiable primary care physicians and dentists in Jefferson County.  Demographic data was obtained in addition to the questions regarding tobacco related practices. 

 

RESULTS:  Valid surveys were returned by 347 providers.  .  Providers’ responses for tobacco-related practices in more than 80% of their affected patients were as follows:

 

	Dentists N=178	Physicians N=155	P Value
Asked about tobacco use	54%	83%	< 0.001
Other forms of tobacco	42%	28%	0.085
Advised to quit	65%	93%	<0.001
Assisted to quit	9%	34%	<0.001
Arranged follow-up	4%	18%	<0.001

 

 

 

CONCLUSIONS:  Primary care physicians and dentists in the most populace county in a tobacco-dominated state indicate a high degree of adherence to the CDC recommendations to ask all patients about tobacco use, and to advise all users to quit.  Assisting patients to quit and arranging follow-up contact after planned quitting dates is much less common for both groups.  Efforts need to be made to identify and correct impediments to the provision of complete smoking cessation activities by primary care physicians and dentists.