Women and smoking

How much do women smoke? (ONS 2002) A quarter of women in the UK are regular smokers, this compares to a just under a third of men. Amongst young people this pattern in substantially reversed. 25% of 15-year-old girls smoke, compared to 19% of boys. Women smokers consume an average of 14 cigarettes per day compared to 16 per day for male smokers.

Why do women smoke? Women feel more emotionally dependant than men on cigarettes. 61% of women said they could not go a whole day without cigarettes compared to 56% of men. 48% of women smokers reported that they would not be able to cope without cigarettes compared with only 35% of men. 48% of women smokers report that they felt more confident in social situations if they had a cigarette compared with 43% of men.

Women feel more confident socially when they smoke.

Why do women want to stop smoking? 5 times more women than men give pregnancy as a major reason to stop smoking. Partners who carry on smoking are one of the biggest barriers to pregnant women who are trying to stop. Half as many women (3%) than men (8%) wanted to stop. Women are most likely to want to stop for financial reasons. 64% of women compared to 58% of men. Twice as many women (13%) than men (7%) say they want to stop smoking for sake of their family. 8% of women compared to 5% of men say the smell of smoke in their hair and clothes is a reason why they want to stop.

What stops women from stopping smoking? 30% of women smokers said they were prevented from attempting to stop smoking by fear of gaining weight compared with only 14% of men smokers. The average weight gain when stopping smoking is approximately 2-3 kilos. Women who have stopped are far more likely than men to start smoking again because of weight gain. 5% compared to 1% of men. Stress is a significant trigger for women who have stopped to start smoking again. 29% of women who have failed in quit attempts give stress as the reason compared to 19% of men. Sex and Smoking. March 1999