The recent agreement by a major U.S. tobacco company to mark its packages with a warning that cigarettes are addictive comes years after more women than ever have picked up the habit.
More women smoke now than fifty years ago.
Those women who do use cigarettes are also more likely to be heavier smokers than in the past. Among adolescents aged 17-19, more girls than boys are now using cigarettes for the first time in history. The health risks related to smoking are severe. More women die of lung cancer than breast cancer in the U.S., making lung cancer the leading cancer killer of women. Compared to non smoking women, those who smoke cigarettes are more likely to suffer heart attacks, strokes, and other serious cardiovascular disorders.