OBJECTIVES: This study aims at evaluating the attempts to stop smoking and the factors related to these attempts in a cohort of smokers followed during 2 years. METHODS: A sample of 6032 individuals aged 15 years or more, representative of the French population, received a self-administered questionnaire in November 2006. Eight hundred and nine smokers were identified and contacted again in June 2007, November 2007, June 2008 and November 2008. A statistical analysis was performed on smokers who were reached and interviewed in all phases. RESULTS: In total, 277 smokers (34%) responded to all interviews. Among them, 10%, 12%, 15% , and 18% were quitters in June 2007, November 2007, June 2008, and November 2008, respectively. Seven percent of smokers were consistently quitters at all follow-up interviews.  Thirty four percent of smokers quitted smoking at least once more than one month between two interviews. Smokers who attempted to quit smoking during the follow up period (43%) were less dependent to tobacco (p<0.01) and lighter smokers (p<0.01). The probability to stop smoking longer than one month decreased in more dependant smokers: Odds Ratio = 0.77 (CI 95%: 0.67-0.89) and increased in smokers with fear of cardiovascular diseases and cancers: Odds Ratio = 2.38 (CI 95%: 1.03-5.50), and medical conditions such as High Blood Pressure, Dyslipidemia, Asthma and Diabetes: Odds Ratio= 2.42 (CI 95%: 1.10-4.57). Among 42% of smokers who declared having intention to stop smoking at the beginning of the study, 50% actually did an attempt to quit smoking after a follow up of 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Half of smokers reporting intention to quit did not make an attempt within 2 years. Quitting smoking more than one month was related to dependence to tobacco and current healthcare conditions while fear of smoking-related diseases motivate smokers to quit smoking.