Introduction. Hospital treatment can be a favourable opportunity for smoking cessation.

Aim. The aim of our study was to evaluate the rate of smoking cessation among patients treated in selected hospital wards and to establish whether the patients who quit smoking and those who did not, differ in demographic features.

Methodology. 205 randomly selected smoking patients, hospitalized since July 2003 to July 2004 were examined. They were hospitalized in 5 wards: internal, neurological, surgical, opthalmology and neurosurgery. Each patient, on the last day of his or her hospitalization, filled an anonymous questionnaire. The questionnaire contained questions concerning demographical data and smoking patterns.

Results. 33% of the examined patients quit smoking during their hospitalization. The highest percentage of patients who ceased smoking was observed in the neurology ward (47%) and in the neurosurgery ward (47%), while the lowest was found in the opthalmology ward (19%).

Conclusions.

1. It has been established that 33% of the patients quit smoking during hospitalization.

2. The highest percentage of patients who quit smoking was observed in the neurology and neurosurgery wards, and the lowest in the opthalmology ward.

3. Patients who stopped smoking during hospitalization differed slightly from those who continue to smoke in terms of demographic data, so there may be demographical factors that influence smoking cessation rates in patients.

Słowa kluczowe: uzależnienie od tytoniu, zaprzestanie palenia papierosów, tobacco addiction, smoking cessation