Aims. To describe the advice and support New Zealand general practitioners (GPs) reported providing to patients about smoking cessation, to explore barriers encountered in providing this advice, and to compare reported practice with recommended best practice.

Methods. 450 GPs were surveyed from four different localities using a structured postal questionnaire.

Results. Questionnaires were returned by 283 GPs, giving a response rate of 63%. Approximately one-third of GPs asked every adult patient about their smoking status. Fewer recorded this information in the patient's notes. GPs, based on their own experience, considered nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and their own advice to quit to be the two most useful smoking cessation strategies. They perceived patient resistance and time pressures as the main barriers limiting their ability to give advice to patients about smoking cessation.

Conclusions. GPs provide smoking cessation advice to many patients, but this needs to be viewed in the context of the New Zealand fee-for-service primary care system and competing demands placed on the limited time available within a consultation. There is potential to increase the practice nurse's involvement in providing smoking cessation advice.