Smoking prevalence among women varies markedly across countries; the percentages range from an estimated 7% in developing countries to 24% in developed countries. Thwarting further increases in tobacco use among women is one of the greatest disease prevention opportunities in the world today.
Smoking is more likely in industrialized countries than in developing countries. As countries develop, smoking starts with men and boys. This is followed a decade or two later with dramatic increases of smoking among women and girls. As the country becomes more industrialized and smoking proliferates, tobacco marketing also increases, leading to an epidemic of premature deaths related to tobacco.
Source: Women and Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General—2001 |
