Do Physicians Smoke? Although the national quit rate has increased slightly over the past few years, according to a 2011 Harris poll, 18% of Americans still smoke.[10] Among nonsmokers, physicians lead the national pack: Only 2% of men and 1.28% of women report that they smoke. About 9% of men and 5% of women were once smokers but quit. How Often Do Physicians Drink Alcohol? As reported in a 2010 Gallup poll, 67% of American adults drink alcohol, a rate that has been "remarkably stable" since this began being tracked in 1939.[11] According to the Medscape survey, male physicians are slightly ahead of the national population, with 73.4% reporting that they drink. Female physicians are closer to the national average, with 65% saying that they drink alcohol. Our survey suggests that physicians tend not to overindulge: Over half report having not even 1 drink a day, and about a quarter of men and a third of women do not drink at all. About 15% of men and 10% of women report having 1-2 alcoholic beverages a day, with only 3.3% of men and 1.25% of women admitting to more than 2. Source
