Smoking Cessation Support in General Practice: Perspectives of Australian General Practitioners

General practitioners (GPs) are central to smoking cessation; however, their own experiences with smoking may influence cessation-related perceptions and self-reported practice measures. This study examined Australian GPs’ perceptions of smoking cessation support, self-reported implementation of the 5As model, and explored how these were associated with their smoking status. A cross-sectional online survey of Australian GPs used a questionnaire primarily based on the Global Health Professional Survey, with items adapted from a previous Australian study. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses examined associations between perceptions, self-reported 5As implementation, smoking status, and sociodemographic characteristics. Among 178 participants, 57% were male, 92% were migrants, and 7.3% were daily smokers. Compared with GPs who had never smoked, GPs who currently smoked were more likely to agree with the perception that GPs who smoke are less likely to advise patients to quit (AOR = 4.02, 95% CI:1.20–13.45), and less likely to view GPs as role models (AOR = 0.13, 95% CI:0.03–0.48) or believe GP advice promotes quitting (AOR = 0.11, 95% CI:0.01–0.88). GPs who currently smoked were less familiar with the 5As than GPs who previously smoked (AOR = 0.12, 95% CI:0.02–0.65). Four-fifths reported no cessation-counselling training. Barriers to effective implementation included patient resistance, limited consultation time, and lack of reimbursement. GPs’ smoking status was associated with cessation-related perceptions and self-reported practice measures. These findings reflect the surveyed, predominantly migrant GPs and may not represent the broader Australian GP workforce. Targeted training and system-level support may strengthen smoking cessation in Australian primary care.