Smoking habits among healthcare workers in the Southern Italy: a cross-sectional study

Smoking is a major public health issue worldwide. The prevalence of smoking among healthcare workers is particularly concerning as they serve as role models for their patients and play a crucial role in combating the tobacco epidemic. Our survey analyzes the smoking habits, second-hand smoke exposure, attitude and support towards smoking cessation among healthcare workers in a hospital in Southern Italy. An anonymous questionnaire was completed by 179 healthcare workers. Among the participants, 36.9% were current smokers, 22.3% were ex-smokers, 8.4% were abstinent smokers, and 32.4% were never smokers. Additionally, 43.0% of smokers reported being exposed to second-hand smoke for 7 days per week, compared to 17.9% of never-smokers. Only 29.2% of current smokers are attempting to quit, while 58.5% have shown no interest in quitting. Most smokers reported not receiving any advice to quit, and only 4.9% received advice from health professionals. Our results align with previous research indicating high smoking rates; however, our findings are even more critical compared to pre-2020 studies in other regions of Europe and Italy. This could be strictly due to the known relation between burnout and COVID-19: the high levels of burnout among health workers caused by the pandemic may have contributed to the increase in smoking behavior. The smoking habits among healthcare workers highlight the urgent need to enhance anti-smoking programs also within healthcare settings.