Smoking Cessation Support in General Practice: Perspectives of Australian General Practitioners

General practitioners (GPs) are central to smoking cessation; however, their own smoking may influence cessation-related perceptions and practices. This study examined Australian GPs’ perceptions of smoking cessation support, implementation of the 5As model, and associations with their smoking status. A cross-sectional online survey of Australian GPs used a questionnaire primarily based on the Global Health Professional Survey, with items adapted from a previous Australian study. Uni-variate and multivariable logistic regression analyses examined associations between perceptions, 5As implementation, smoking status, and sociodemographic charac-teristics. Among 178 participants, 57% were male, 92% were migrants, and 7.3% were daily smokers. Compared with never smokers, current smokers were more likely to agree that GPs who smoke are less likely to advise patients to quit (AOR=4.02, 95% CI:1.20–13.45), and less likely to view GPs as role models (AOR=0.13, 95% CI:0.03–0.48) or believe GP advice promotes quitting (AOR=0.11, 95% CI:0.01–0.88). Current smokers were less familiar with the 5As than ex-smokers (AOR=0.12, 95% CI:0.02–0.65). Four-fifths reported no cessation-counselling training. Barriers were patient resistance, limited consultation time, and lack of reimbursement. GPs’ smoking status was associated with cessation-related perceptions and practices. Targeted training and system-level support may strengthen smoking cessation care in Australian primary care.