Purpose: This study investigated whether differences in awareness of and attitudes towards smoking and second-hand smoke among university first-year students were affected by students’ own personal backgrounds, particularly their own smoking experience and their parents’ smoking status. The aim of this study was to gather information for use in aiding awareness and prevention of smoking and second-hand smoke among first-year students, and advising them in issues of health care management.

Method: Participants in this study were first-year students enrolled at Nayoro City University (or Junior College) in 2014 and 2015. The survey was conducted via an anonymous, self-administered, and semi-structured questionnaire that included questions concerning attitudes toward smoking and second-hand smoke.

Results: KTSND scores and second-hand smoke tolerance scores were significantly higher among those with smoking experience (3.5 points, 2.0 points, respectively) than among those without any smoking experience. As for the parent’s smoking status, KTSND scores among those whose mother currently smokes were 1.3 points significantly higher.

Discussion: Mothers’ smoking status strongly affected students’ own smoking experience. Students with smoking experience as minors (under age 20) had an inclination to tolerate smoking behaviors and secondhand smoke.

Conclusion: It is necessary to implement positive interventions at universities before students reach the age of majority at twenty years old.

Objective: We investigated the role of pharmacists in community pharmacies in smoking cessation support from the perspective of patients in a smoking cessation clinic.

Methods: We conducted a questionnaire survey to outpatients who visited a smoking cessation clinic in Showa University Hospital.

Results/Findings: The questionnaire response rate was 59%. Subjects consisted of 36 patients (69% males and 28% females; 58.3 ± 13.5 years). When patients wanted to quit smoking, patients (56%) consulted a doctor, but not the pharmacist in community pharmacies. Moreover, patients (58%) were informed about smoking cessation clinics from the doctor, but there were no patients informed by pharmacists in community pharma cies. Although patients (over 75%) felt the need for smoking cessation support (recommendations for the ces sation of smoking, administration of appropriate medication, guidance and consultations) by pharmacists in community pharmacies, the support desired by patients was not provided. However, patients (over 65%) who have experienced pharmacist support in quitting smoking were satisfied with the smoking cessation support by pharmacists in community pharmacies.

Conclusion: As smoking cessation support by pharmacists is not provided as desired by patients, pharmacists need to improve smoking cessation support.

Objective: We investigated the role of pharmacists in community pharmacies in smoking cessation support using a questionnaire intended for doctors.

Methods: A survey was sent to 200 doctors who are board certified members and fellows of the Japan Society for Tobacco Control (JSTC).

Results/Findings: The questionnaire response rate was 51%. Approximately 70% of doctors answered that pharmacists in community pharmacies should recommend smoking cessation to all smokers. Sixty-two percent of doctors answered that they should recommend smoking cessation treatment with the commercial non-smoking adjuvant to smokers with a higher desire to cease smoking. More than 80% of doctors answered that they should recommend consulting with a smoking cessation clinic when treatment with the commercial non-smoking adjuvant failed. In the case of consultation with a smoking cessation clinic, doctors wished for written patient information such as current medications. Approximately 85% of doctors felt that pharmacists need to praise outpatients who cease smoking to increase their confidence. Seventy-one percent of doctors also thought that it was important to confirm the reason that the patient had been smoking when the outpatient could not quit smoking. More than 70 percent of doctors thought that pharmacists should be Pharmacists’ Association-certified in order to provide improved smoking cessation support.

Conclusion: Pharmacists need to participate in workshops and acquire knowledge of smoking cessation support to improve support because some patients may need mental care during treatment.