Aubin et al. BMC Public Health 2010, 10:100 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/10/100 one attempt. Having made at least one attempt to quit smoking was significantly more frequent in employed rather than unemployed smokers (p < .01), and in daily than non daily smokers (p < .01). The median duration for the last attempt was 2 months, ranging from less than 24 hours (7%) to over 1 year (18%), the majority (56%) lasting 3 months or less. Overall, 16% of last attempts to quit smoking were encouraged by a physician. They were mostly general practitioners (63%), then, far behind, cardiologists (18%) or gynecologists (14%). Chest physicians were only men- tioned in 11% of cases, and tobacco treatment specialists in 9%. The majority of attempts was not encouraged by anybody in particular (Table 2). Family circles were par- ticularly active. However the last attempt was mostly self-initiated. The main reason for having made the last attempt to quit smoking was cost, mentioned by 44% of smokers, followed by social pressure (39%), the wish to improve physical fitness (36%), fear of a future smoking-related disease (24%), weariness of smoking (21%), and the exis- tence of a pulmonary or cardiovascular condition (14%). Few smokers quoted smoking ban and other anti-smok- ing laws (4%), the marketing of a new smoking cessation drug (3%), or information campaigns (2%) as reasons to having made their last quit attempt. Table 2 Persons encouraging the last attempt of smoking cessation. Single attempt n = 219 Several attempts n = 287 Physician (%) Family circle (%) Circle of friends (%) Work colleagues (%) Pharmacist (%) Other (%) Nobody in particular (%) No answer (%) Reason of relapse Craving Anxiety/stress Significant life event Weight gain Irritability Depression Request of significant others Price of treatment Treatment-emergent adverse events 9% 35% 6% 3% 1% 1% 54% 4% 21% 44% 12% 4% 3% 1% 46% 3% 45% 34% 21% 18% 16% 5% 3% 3% 3% Page 5 of 8 Only 11% of smokers having made a quit attempt sought help from a physician when they attempted to stop smoking: 8% did so for their first and only attempt, and 13% when they made several attempts. Those who wished help from a physician mainly chose a general practitioner (77%); secondly tobacco treatment specia- lists were consulted (12%). Cardiologists (3%), chest phy- sicians (2%), and gynecologists (2%) weren’t often chosen. Mean visits to the physician was 2.2. Even if support methods were more widely used by those who made several attempts (41% vs 25% for a first attempt, p < 0.01), still 62% did not use any support to quit smoking. Nicotine replacement therapy was mostly used: nicotine patch (20%), gums (12%), tablets (1%), and inhaler (1%). Bupropion was used in 5% of attempts. Other methods such as acupuncture, homeopathy, and hypnosis were also used as an aid to smoking cessation by 4% of the subjects. Amongst the reasons that lead to resumed smoking, craving was the most frequently mentioned (45%), fol- lowed by anxiety/stress (34%), significant life event (21%), weight gain (18%), and irritability (16%). Other reasons were not reported more than in 5% of cases. Table 3 displays duration of attempts as a function of reason for relapse. Intention to quit smoking Forty percent of current smokers declared they intended to stop permanently, more so in those who had pre- viously made a quit attempt (52% vs 22%, p < .01). Of these, 5% intended to quit in the following week, 11% in the following 30 days, 55% in the following 6 months, 24% after 6 months, and 5% didn’t specify. Intention to quit smoking was more frequent in daily than in non daily smokers (p < .01), but was unrelated to socio- demographic variables. Reasons mentioned comprised: high price of cigarettes (65%), wish to improve physical fitness (53%), fear of a future smoking-related disease (43%), weariness of tobacco (34%), social pressure (30%), and current smoking-related disease (14%). Other rea- sons mentioned were smoking ban in public places 6.7(19.4) 9(20.3) 19.3(35.4) 11.5(22.6) 3.8(9.7) 26.6(36.3) 1.4(1.6) 2.7(2.9) 1.7(2.6) .8 1 6.2 4 .4 12 .8 2 .3 Table 3 Duration of attempts as a function of reasons for relapse. Frequency of report Mean (SD) duration of attempts (months) Median duration of attempts (months)