KATHMANDU:

When it comes to women smoking, it is difficult to trace when she lit up for the first time. Perhaps it happened with liberation, when females decided to be on par with men in everything. Or may be it started in 1928 with the advertising campaign of American Tobacco, which convinced women they would look stylish smoking.

A recent World Health Organisation indicates that the number of female smokers makes 56 per cent of all smokers. In the context of Nepal, prevalence of tobacco use in adults is 68.4 per cent in rural Kathmandu, 37 per cent in urban Kathmandu, 54.7 per cent in Tarai, and 77.7 per cent in the mountain region. The most alarming signal is in the mountains where the female smoking rate is 71.6 per cent, which is one of the highest reported in the world.

So, why do women smoke?

In rural areas, women smoke not only out of curiosity, little or no education, lack of awareness, but simply out of habit. They have no other means of entertainment, and socialise with their peers while doing domestic chores and lighting up. The other reason is parents ask their children to light a cigarette for them, which becomes an addiction for the young. Another reason is the easy access to cigarette.

In urban areas, women brought up under a strict family environment see smoking as a way of rebellion and independence. Almost one in every five female smokers are encouraged by their peers to start smoking. Another reason is that tobacco advertisers promote the idea that smoking equals to ‘emancipation’ or ‘liberation’ for women.

Cigarette companies carefully shape their campaigns to portray smokers as cool, independent, fun, sexually attractive, and living on the edge types. The companies provide promotional items, which makes it almost three times more likely that people will start smoking.

Even women’s magazines have given very less space to dangers of smoking. In 1997 it was found that cigarette ads outweighed anti-smoking messages by six to one, in 1998, the ratio had nearly doubled 11 to one. In 2000, with a surge in anti-tobacco ads, the ratio of cigarette ads to anti-smoking messages was 10 to one. The total ratio of cigarette ad pages to full-fledged anti-smoking articles was 30 to one.

Models smoking on catwalks also spread the message that smoking is cool. Movies also play a major role in persuading one to smoke.

In the metropolitan lifestyle, smoking amongst women has been established as a status symbol. Women, who do not smoke, are often found to be doing so just to fit in.

Weight loss and stress relief are the major reasons ‘mature’ smokers put forward as an excuse not to give up cigarette. However, nicotine does not reduce stress level — cigarettes relieve temporary nervous tension, enhancing general stress.

According to WHO, tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. It is currently responsible for the death of one in 10 adults worldwide. Smoking is bad for everyone and is

especially risky for women. Women usually develop lung cancer at a younger age than men and after fewer years of smoking. There are other risks to their health which includes pregnancy and fertility problems, earlier menopause, cervical cancer et cetera.

There are varied reasons why women smoke. The research among women smokers indicates they take a puff usually out of curiosity, to make a fashion statement, to imitate elders, to retain friends, to look cool, follow in the footsteps of their idols and simply because of ignorance.