Commentary on a smoke-free medical campus in Jerusalem: data for action

Steven A Schroeder

doi:10.1186/s13584-016-0087-2

Steven A Schroeder

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13584-016-0087-2

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Abstract

Over the past 30 years, Israel has made great progress in attitudes and practices about smoking; probably nothing else has contributed more to the health of its population. Yet, a recent survey about a non-smoking ban at an Israeli health sciences campus found incomplete enforcement. In addition, smoking rates among health sciences students, though lower than the general population, were higher than might be expected based on rates in other developed countries. Whether the ban is—as the authors speculate—“an intrusive life style intervention” or a justifiable public health intervention, cuts to the heart of the history of tobacco control efforts and their opposition by the tobacco industry. Despite concerns that the Israeli population is not ready to accept smoke-free bans, experience in other countries suggests otherwise.

Highlights

In 1987 I had the privilege of serving as visiting professor at the Ben Gurion Medical School ( Goldman School) in Beersheva
The smoking rates found among medical (6.9 %), dental (11.6 %) and pharmacy (8.7 %) students are substantially below the 19.8 % of the general population, they are higher than health professional smoking prevalence rates in the United States, where, for example, physician smoking rates hover between 1–2 % [5,6,7]
Like the Ein Kerem campus of Hebrew University, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) is a standalone health science campus. It exists in a state—California—where smoking has become progressively denormalized to the extent that social norms suffice to enforce non-smoking bans

Summary

Introduction

Background In 1987 I had the privilege of serving as visiting professor at the Ben Gurion Medical School ( Goldman School) in Beersheva. There were many similarities between how medicine was practiced and taught at the Soroka/Ben Gurion hospital and my own institution—the University of California San Francisco (UCSF)—there was one stark difference: most of the (male) professors smoked cigarettes, often and robustly. No other trend has contributed more to the health of the Israeli population [3]. Correspondence: Steve.Schroeder@ucsf.edu Distinguished Professor of Health and Healthcare, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA

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Conclusion