They're also at risk for reduced fertility and premature menopause. Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, sudden infant death syndrome, and low birth-weight babies. Teenagers are the most important customers to tobacco companies, according to Matthew Myers, president of Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. Ninety percent of all the smokers began as teenagers or younger. Tobacco companies seek to lure teens with ads to make them think smoking is cool, he said.
Tobacco companies deny they target teens.
Company officials have said they target only adults who choose to smoke. The surgeon general's report recommends reducing the tobacco company practice of targeting women, carrying out more studies on the health effects of smoking on women and launching more statewide tobacco-control programs like those in Florida and Massachusetts, which have been credited with drops in the incidence of underage smoking. The programs are funded from the industry's 1998 settlement with district attorneys of 46 states to compensate the states for money spent treating smoking-related illnesses. It's significant because we can help women quit smoking. Experts don't know why.