[Evaluation of nurses' knowledge about heath effects of active and passive smoking and their attitude towards providing smoking cessation activities].

The aim of the study was to evaluate the nurses' knowledge about health effects of active and passive smoking and their attitude towards providing smoking cessation activities. The study population consisted of 299 nurses. About 57% of the women thought that some kind of cigarettes can be less dangerous than other. Almost all of the nurses indicated that tobacco smoking may lead to addiction. Unfortunately only 67% of study population thought that sidestream smoke contains substances dangerous for health. All nurses indicated that tobacco smoking causes lung cancer and 77% of them that it can cause cardio-vascular diseases and only 26% that it increases the risk of bladder cancer. Almost all women indicated that environmental tobacco smoke exposure is dangerous for pregnant women and the faetus. The nurses were educated about health effects of active and passive smoking but they have limited knowledge about the methods used in antismoking counseling.