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Introduction: Smoking is the largest modifiable risk factor for early death in Denmark, and reduction of the number of smokers is a high-priority health goal. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of tobacco consumption and social position on smoking cessation in a representative sample of the Danish population. This had not previously been done in Denmark. Materials and methods: The data were derived from the Danish Health and Morbidity Surveys of 1994 and 2000. The study population consisted of persons between 25 and 64 years of age who smoked in 1994 and who were re-interviewed in 2000. A total of 1,056 smokers participated, of whom 180 were no longer smoking in 2000. The data were analysed using logistic regression analysis. Results: Smoking cessation was achieved more frequently by light smokers than by heavy smokers (OR 1.74; CI 1.24-2.43). The odds of smoking cessation increased with the number of years of education, for example smokers with at least 15 years of education were more likely to quit smoking than those with 10 or fewer years of education (OR 3.48; CI 2.07-5.87). Conclusion: As expected, the amount of tobacco consumption influenced smoking cessation, since consumption is associated with nicotine dependence, which makes quitting difficult. The significance of education on smoking cessation may reflect the degree of knowledge of harmful effects of smoking. Further, people with less education more often work in environments where smoking is accepted. Our results may be useful in future smoking cessation interventions.

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