A survey shows that many smokers and binge drinkers do not get any 'healthy living' advice when they visit the doctor.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention carried out a phone survey covering 4,827 people who had visited the doctor for a routine check in the previous 12 months. They learned that 70 per cent of smokers said that their doctors had advised them to quit. But only 23 per cent of binge drinkers had been counselled on their alcohol use.

Alcohol abuse poses serious risks to health, so it is puzzling that so few of those at risk received advice. It may be that doctors feel that smoking is the more obvious risk and know what to advise. Even so, 30 per cent of this sample received no advice on quitting. Just a little advice on bad health habits could pay future dividends, so perhaps it is time doctors paid more attention to this important aspect of their work.

Source

American Journal of Preventive Medicine January 2003