[Sample survey of smoking habits in the German, French and Romansch speaking parts of Switzerland in 1975].

In a survey of a representative sample of 900 persons in Switzerland (excluding the Italian speaking parts comprising some 4-5 percent of the population), the smoking habits of the adult population were studied. Smokers were defined as persons smoking at least one cigarette or an equivalent weight of pipe tobacco or cigars per day. 51.8% of men and 29.0% of women over age 15 are smokers. Among male smokers of cigarettes only (42% of all men), over three quarters (77.6%) smoke ten cigarettes or more per day, i.e., a quantity found harmful to health; over one half (55.8%) smoke twenty or more cigarettes per day. Half of all female smokers smoke ten or more cigarettes, more than one in every four female smokers (28.8%) smoke twenty or more cigarettes per day. It is calculated that almost two thirds of all cigarettes sold in Switzerland are smoked by smokers of twenty or more cigarettes per day, and that almost three quarters are smoked by smokers of ten or more cigarettes. Among men, smoking habits are independent of social status, whereas among women, those with higher family incomes show more frequent smoking, but also more widespread cessation of smoking than with lower incomes. Thirty percent of adults having been smokers have given up the habit, so that among men and women above age 15, theree are now some 20% and 14% respectively, of ex-smokers. This corresponds to at least 700,000 former smokers in all of Switzerland. The trend to give up starts already in the group aged 15-24 (over 20% of men and women having ever smoked have given up) and becomes more marked with increasing age. A large part of male and female smokers would like to free themselves of the habit. 30% of male and 34% of female smokers indicate that they had tried seriously to stop smoking during the twelve months preceding the interview. Trying to give up was not significantly associated with intensity of smoking or social status. According to this survey, a majority of the population (57.6%) is in favor of reserving certain parts of restaurants to non-smokers, following the example of non-smokers-compartments in railway trains. In a situation where a non-smoker asks a co-worker in a closed room not to smoke, 78.3% take sides with the non-smoker, either by conceding to him a right to smoke-free air, or by demanding from the smoker to show consideration for the non-smoker. Only 10.9% demand from the non-smoker understanding for the smoker, or concede to the smoker a right to smoke at work. Women show more understanding for cause of the non-smoker than men. This difference is more marked among smokers and former smokers than among non-smokers. Inasmuch as the results of this study are comparable to those of earlier surveys conducted in Switzerland, ther is good agreement. The only exception is a significant increase of the proportion of former smokers in the past years.