| Smoking kills 114,000 people per year in the | | | | failure of that child to thrive. Finally and |
| UK and a growing proportion of these are | | | | probably most painfully to any parent, |
| women. The risks taken by women in smoking | | | | smoking greatly increases the risk of Sudden |
| are many fold and are well documented. Of | | | | Infant Death Syndrome also referred to as |
| these 114,000 deaths, over 42,000 of them are | | | | SIDS or cot death.There is a prevalence in |
| women.As a group, 23% of all adult women are | | | | western society for women to use the |
| considered to be regular smokers compared | | | | contraceptive pill and links have been found |
| with 26% of adult men. However, at secondary | | | | between the pill and smokers with respect to |
| school age, more girls smoke than boys, at a | | | | a reduction in good health or a risk of |
| rate of 26% to 16% respectively. Arguably | | | | negative side effects. Most notably, women on |
| this is because of the false belief that | | | | the pill increase their risk of heart attack |
| smoking helps weight loss and or slimming. As | | | | ten-fold by smoking. There is also a higher |
| teenage girls are more susceptible to the | | | | incidence of stroke and cardiovascular |
| social pressure of looking slim, this may | | | | disease in women taking the pill and |
| well be a promoting factor in the higher | | | | smoking.Smoking also increases the risk of |
| prevalence of female smokers.Given this | | | | problematic menstruation (but not |
| similar rate of regular smoking at adulthood, | | | | Pre-Menstrual Tension or Pre-Menstrual |
| women tend to smoke 2 cigarettes per day less | | | | Stress) and has been found to accelerate the |
| than men, on average smoking 13 cigarettes | | | | onset of menopause. It has been found that |
| compared to men smoking 15. It is possible | | | | women are likely to enter the menopause on |
| that this is as a result of the difference in | | | | average 2 years earlier than non-smoking |
| body mass between men and women.80% of female | | | | women and are at increased risk of developing |
| lung cancer victims are smokers compared with | | | | osteoporosis, a debilitating disease suffered |
| 90% of male lung cancer victims. This is | | | | by women which sees their bones decay and |
| thought to be as a result of some metabolic | | | | 'shrink' as they grow older.Smoking also has |
| difference between men and women, but female | | | | an aging effect on smokers, most noticeably |
| smokers should not consider the lower | | | | in the wrinkling of the skin. The toxins in |
| percentage as a blessing. Overall, more than | | | | cigarette smoke are known to harm the |
| 90% of lung cancer patients, whether male or | | | | metabolism of the skin as well as promoting |
| female, are dead within 5 years of diagnosis | | | | the drying of the skin itself. Coupled to |
| as a direct result of their smoking.Social | | | | this, smoking accelerates the narrowing of |
| class plays a role in death rates as a result | | | | blood vessels providing blood to the skin |
| of lung cancer too. The lowest social classes | | | | that again reduces its vitality. It is also |
| of men are five times more likely to die from | | | | thought that some of the chemicals in |
| lung cancer than the highest. In women, the | | | | cigarette smoke increase the production of |
| lowest social class is twice as likely to die | | | | specific enzymes that break down collagen, |
| from lung cancer as the highest social class. | | | | the underlying substance that gives skin a |
| Obviously, there are significant differences | | | | youthful appearance and feel. It is also |
| in smoking habits between these social | | | | thought that smoking and the incidence of |
| classes but also other mitigating factors | | | | psoriasis are linked.Finally, excess weight |
| such as diet and alcohol consumption may play | | | | in female smokers tends towards the upper |
| a role too.Women greatly increase the risk of | | | | torso and around the organs of the body, |
| cervical cancer along with all the other | | | | rather than around the legs and hips. Female |
| forms of cancer that are known to be more | | | | smokers have a lower waist to hip ratio |
| prevalent in smokers. These include cancers | | | | making them statistically less curvaceous or |
| of the mouth, lip and throat, cancer of the | | | | feminine looking. The weight gain (if any) |
| pancreas, bladder cancer, cancer of the | | | | after smoking cessation tends away from the |
| kidney, stomach cancer, liver cancer and | | | | upper torso and with time, body fat tends |
| leukaemia.Women who smoke put their children | | | | towards the hips, buttocks and legs, away |
| at much higher risk than those who don't | | | | from the organs and heart. This is though to |
| although any child should be protected from | | | | greatly reduce the risk of heart disease in |
| exposure to cigarette smoke regardless. | | | | women who quit smoking.Pete Howells owns the |
| Smoking during pregnancy leads to an | | | | website and has devised a simple system that |
| increased risk of miscarriage, bleeding | | | | will help any smoker quit by giving them the |
| during pregnancy, premature birth and hence | | | | instructions they need to follow to achieve |
| low weight of babies at birth. Lower birth | | | | their ambition to quit. Please visit to find |
| weight and premature birth greatly increase | | | | out more about his incredible process for |
| the risks of ill-health in the child and the | | | | quitting smoking. |