Intercensal trends in cigarette smoking by New Zealand doctors and nurses.

The proportion of cigarette smokers has fallen in male doctors from 20% in 1976 to 15% in 1981 and in female doctors from 17% to 13%. The same trends have also occurred in nurses with a reduction from 49% to 39% in men and from 36% to 31% in women. Smoking rates remain high among female psychiatric nurses (46%) and male general nurses (48%). Only 10% of all doctors under 24 years are smokers. Among general practitioners, the proportion of smokers has fallen from 21% to 14% and among surgeons from 22% to 13%. If present trends continue, a generation of non-smoking doctors may be expected by the year 2000. Both doctors and nurses have accepted their role as exemplars and made significant reductions in their level of smoking.