Smoking behavior and knowledge about smoking in patients in Morocco

Smoking is a serious public health problem. In Morocco, the number of smoke rs varies from 24% to 52% depending on different social categories (school children, university students, public health workers, industrial workers, c ivil servants). The aim of our descriptive study was to analyze knowledge a bout smoking and smoking habits in patients hospitalized or followed by two units in the Ibn Rochd Hospital, cardiology and respiratory diseases. A qu estionnaire was given to a consecutive series of 200 patients between Janua ry and March 1997 (100 patients in each unit). Twenty per cent of the patie nts were smokers and 23% were former smokers. The most well known health ri sks of smoking in the two groups of patients were respiratory and cardiovas cular risks (88% and 71% respectively). Smokers and former smokers were mor e aware of these health risks. 86% of the smokers and former smokers had at tempted to stop smoking at least once, mainly for a "health" reasons. 60% o f smokers and former smokers decided to never smoke or never take a cigaret te again. 66% of the patients said they had not been advised at the hospita l about the risk of smoking. Our study provides a basis for further studies . It points out the importance of the smoking phenomena and the minimal rol e played by health personnel in advising patients. Health care workers shou ld participate in antismoking activities during their consultation activiti es at the hospital in order to help patients stop smoking and also help imp lement rigorous antismoking laws in Morocco.