The consultants of the health and social statistics recommended the December 1997 survey to be on the topic of accidents during sportive activities, recreational time or in the household and smoking habits. These topics had already been part of several Mikrozensus survey, in the years 1970, 1980 and 1989 on accidents and in the years 1972, 1979 and 1986 on smoking habits. There had also been a questions on smoking habits in the special program “questions on health” from December 1991. The social- and health care system is very interested in accident-statistical data since these statistics are neither conducted regularly nor comprehensively (in contrast to traffic- and occupational accidents). However, the number of these accidents surpasses all others. Relevant data on accidents is only provided by the Mikrozensus. The evaluation of the smoking habits should on the one hand show the development of the Austrian population’s smoking habits over the years and on the other hand show the efficacy of the educational work (anti-smoking-campaigns) and other preventive measures against tobacco-related diseases (cancer, heart attack, vascular diseases, etc. )