US asks women to quit smoking on independence day

LOS ANGELES - The US National Cancer Institute has asked all American women to quit smoking on the occasion of the nation’s Independence Day Sunday.

The institute will encourage American women to take a “Smoke-free Pledge” to kick the habit and has also started a website to help them out, Xinhua reported.

The health risks associated with smoking can be greater for women than men, the institute said, adding that women face a bigger risk for smoking-related diseases such as heart attack, stroke, and lung cancer.

While nicotine addiction is similar for both genders, women are more drawn to cigarettes by other factors such as smell, taste, hand-to-mouth sensation, weight-control aspirations, and mood control, it said.

Emotional issues also play a greater role in luring women back to the habit, the institute said.

Smoking can also compromise a woman’s reproductive health, as well as welfare of her children, for whom she is the primary caregiver, the institute said.

Women are, nowadays, more aware than ever of the dangers of smoking, and three out of four women smokers said they would like to quit, the institute’s website said.

They are, however, often less inclined to quit than men, and less confident that they can do so. They are more likely than men to resume smoking after attempting to quit, according to the institute.

The institute’s website provides a step-by-step outline on how to quit smoking. It also provides links to information on free national phone counselling.