Doctors And Dentists Don't Urge Patients To Quit Smoking

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Tobacco accounts for 443,000 premature deaths annually. Talking about the importance of kicking the habit may be one of the most important roles of the physician, yet nearly half of smokers report their primary care doctor failed to advise them to quit smoking.

Another group, dentists also fall short: only 10% of smokers reported getting this advice from their dental provider.

Certainly this is not an excuse for people to smoke and most people are well aware of the dangers of smoking, but this clearly shows the need to talk about the habit and come up with ways to quit.