Doctors are ethically obliged to advise patients to quit smoking

doi:10.1136/bmj.317.7172.1588

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Joseph L Y Liu, Research associate,
Jin-Ling Tang, Associate professor

Centre for Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Research, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
Department of Community and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong

EDITOR—Butler et al studied smokers and their perceptions of doctors' advice on quitting smoking1; their study concluded with a discouraging message for doctors who provide such advice. Doctors should consider other evidence when deciding whether to give advice to smokers on quitting. Contrary to Butler et al's findings, quantitative surveys have shown that most smokers want to be given advice about quitting.2 Even if the opinions of the smokers in …