RESUMO
Health professionals, particularly clinicians and nurses in the community have an important role in preventing to start smoking. In our study; we aimed to determine the prevalence of cigarette smoking, nicotine dependence level and the effects of low price tobacco sale among healthcare personal in a military hospital. A questionnaire was applied to healthcare personal, which evaluates their smoking habits, nicotine dependence level with Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and the effects of low cost cigarette sale on smoking habits. Seventy male and 46 female among 138 healthcare personals (84%) responded to the questionnaire. Mean age of participants was 33.7 ± 5.6. Among all participants, 53.4% were smoking. There was no significant difference between male and female participants in case of smoking prevalence (p> 0.05). Seven participants who started smoking regularly after they appointed to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus explained why they started smoking as secondary to lower cigarette prices in this country. 48.3% of participants (40% of male smokers and 59.3% of female smokers) reported increased cigarette consumption as a result of low cost cigarette sales. There was a significant difference between male and female participants in case of increase in cigarette consumption (< 0.05). According to results of FTND, about 70% of participants were low and very low-dependant, and about 22% were high and very high- dependant smokers. Smoking prevalence of healthcare personal who participated in our study was higher than that reported for community and for other healthcare personal.