Zealotry is counter productive

BMJ 1995;311:945 (7 October)

Letters

Zealotry is counter productive

EDITOR,--Simon Chapman's suggestion that students who smokeshould be channelled away from primary health care would denyto patients the insights available to doctors who (like me)used to smoke, which can be invaluable when they advise smokershow to stop. My experience suggests that smokers are much morelikely to listen to me when they know that I have gone throughtheir difficulties myself.

We are all aware of the dangers of smoking and most of us wouldlike to see it die out, but zealotry is counter productive.

General practitioner Health Centre, Tarleton, Preston PR4 6UJ

M J Ebdy