Aim of the Work: is to evaluate the role of spirometry use for the early detection of airflow obstruction in a high-risk population. Patients and Methods: spirometric screening of 200 male volunteer smokers who were not known to have COPD, and 30 apparently healthy male non smokers as control subjects.Results: •80.5% of smokers had no airways obstruction and 19.5 % of smokers showed different degrees of irreversible airway obstruction.•Severe COPD group showed the statistically significantly highest mean smoking index with no difference of statistical significance between other groups.•36.5% of subjects showed different degrees of small airways affection. •There was a statistically significant negative (inverse) correlation between age and FEV1 %( duration of smoking).• There was no statistically significant correlation between ages, FEV1% in the normal control.•There was a statistically significant negative (inverse) correlation between smoking index and FEV1%.•There was a statistically significant negative (inverse) correlation between smoking index and FEF 25 - 75 %.Conclusion:The present study may represent a potentially useful model to use the spirometry in high-risk groups as an effective and easy method for the early detection of COPD.