The present study investigated smoking prevalence and attitudes toward smoking in student and staff nurses, and activities to promote tobacco intervention by staff nurses. A total of 743 student nurses in 2 colleges and one university and 490 staff nurses in the university hospital in Niigata, Japan participated in the study and filled in self-administered anonymous questionnaires focused on smoking habits, attitudes toward smoking, and activities to promote tobacco intervention. The smoking prevalence among student nurses was 6% and increased with the year of study, whereas that of among staff nurses was 16% and increased by employment up to 3-5 years. Almost half of the student nurse smokers started the habit before admission to higher education facilities, and more than half of staff smokers also started smoking in their school years, in high school or college. Nicotine dependence, as defined by over 11 cigarettes per day and the first cigarette within 30 min after getting up, was high in smokers who started smoking before admission to college or university, but not in those who took up the habit thereafter. Thirty-six percent of student nurses and 25% of staff nurses agreed with the statement that "nurses should not smoke." Only 12% of staff nurses were involved in anti-tobacco interventions routinely, partly due to lack of broad knowledge and the necessary skills. Greater efforts are needed as a high priority to educate student and staff nurses systematically and comprehensively about the range of tobacco interventions available in Japan.