Background: Addiction care is mostly provided by general practitioners (GPs) but the extent of their involvement is variable. Is this related to different training or practice contexts or to awareness campaigns?

Objective: To study GPs’ views and behaviours in relation to addiction patients in different practice and training contexts and different levels of exposure to awareness campaigns.

Methods: Cross-sectional postal survey involving 526 GPs from the canton of Geneva, Switzerland, sensitized by specific addiction care campaigns, compared to 628 GPs from two rural Departments of Poitou-Charentes, France, not exposed to this type of awareness campaign.

Results: The response rate was 46% in Switzerland and 41% in France. The 243 responding GPs in Geneva saw as many patients with tobacco, alcohol, cannabis or opiate addiction as the 256 GPs in Poitou-Charentes. They shared similar views concerning their roles in relation to these addictions. Compared to Swiss GPs, a significantly higher number of French GPs provided first-line care for tobacco addiction. In both countries, care for addiction to other substances was mostly provided in collaboration with a specialist (>75% of cases). GPs in Geneva attributed greater importance to screening and recording of substance use. They were also more involved in training and in providing brief advice and expressed interest in the network.

Conclusion: Awareness campaigns in Geneva could explain these differences. Sensitization of GPs to these issues may contribute to modifying certain professional attitudes, regardless of the context.