Smoking drops among RNs, other health professionals

A new study reveals the number of registered nurses who smoke dropped by more than a third nationwide from 2003 to 2011, according to a HealthDay report. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, noted there was a 36 percent decrease over that time, with the largest decline in smokers coming between 2007 and 2011 when the number of nurses who light up fell from 11 to 7 percent. That decrease was three times higher than the 13 percent smoking decline among the general population. In addition, the number of nurses who smoked and quit (70 percent) was higher than the general population (53 percent). Smoking rates also fell among physicians, licensed practical nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists and dental hygienists. Article