Women are more likely to present in mental health settings, such as a clinic or private psychiatrist's office. For that reason, physicians in those settings will need to more aggressively screen for substance abuse problems, she said. When women come in talking about a substance-using spouse, professionals need to query them about their own substance use. Md. Men generally smoke to decrease boredom and fatigue and to increase arousal and concentration. Women, on the other hand, smoke for weight control and to decrease stress, anger and other negative feelings.
Men also respond more strongly to the analgesic effects of nicotine.
Nicotine controls appetite and body weight in both men and women, but its effects are more pronounced in women. When it comes to success at quitting, women have more difficulty. Women are also less responsive to nicotine replacement therapies and have more success with drugs such as clonidine and bupropion, which are prescribed for smoking cessation. Back to top.