[INTRODUCTION - The aim of the study was to explore the differences in motivations between successful quitters and smokers who just consider quitting. Self-reported motivations of exsmokers' smoking cessation and the reasoning of current smokers who consider quitting were analyzed. SUBJECTS AND METHODS - The study is based on Hungarostudy Health Panel conducted in 2005, which is the second wave of Hungarostudy 2002, a national representative health survey of the adult Hungarian population. Of the subjects involved in this follow-up study, data from 3701 persons could be analyzed. RESULTS - About half of the respondents had never smoked, one fifth of them had quitted and 28 percent smoked. More than half of the current smokers (52%) contemplated on giving up smoking. Among ex-smokers and contemplating current smokers alike (38-40%), disease prevention was mentioned as the single most important reason of cessation. Financial reasons were mostly mentioned by current smokers; ex-smokers were more likely to explain their decision with deteriorating health, the occurrence of certain diseases. Among these, cardio-vascular morbidity played the most important role in smoking cessation while cancers, respiratory disease and diabetes also significantly increased the odds of quitting. Social pressure was a reason for quitting mostly among women and elderly persons. Among current smokers, those living in partner relationship and the better-off tended to entertain thoughts of quitting because of social pressure. CONCLUSION - The results confirm the importance of cardiovascular diseases in smoking cessation: although people emphasize primary preventive purposes of their cessation efforts, in fact secondary prevention, i.e., existing circulatory and heart problems play the major role both in actual cessation and in quitting considerations.]