WHY DO PREGNANT-WOMEN SMOKE AND CAN WE HELP THEM QUIT

As observed by Dr. Linda Dodds (see pages 185 to 190 of this issue), t here has been little change in recent years in the smoking rate of abo ut 30% among pregnant women in Nova Scotia. Women who smoke during pre gnancy tend to be young, unmarried, undereducated and multiparous and tend not to go to prenatal classes. Many pregnant women find it extrem ely difficult to stop smoking even when they understand the risks to t he fetus. Routine advice given by physicians on smoking cessation is c learly ineffective. However, informed physicians who recognize the dif ficulty of quitting and offer support and advice in a systematic way c an help women to progress through the stages of the smoking cessation process.