Women and tobacco: international issues

Most women live in the developing world, and of these, between 2% and 10% smoke cigarettes, although in some regions women more commonly chew tobacco. There can be no complacency about the lower level of tobacco use among women; it does not reflect health awareness, but rather social traditions and women's low economic resources. The number of women smokers will inevitably increase: the female population in developing countries will rise from the present 2.1 to 3.5 billion by 2025, women's spending power is increasing, the tobacco companies are targeting women, governments may be less aware of the harmfulness of smoking and are preoccupied with other health issues, and woman-specific health education and quitting programs are rare. Tobacco-related health problems have hitherto been masked by women's shorter life expectancy, but rural women who become sick from tobacco-related diseases have extremely limited access to health care. In addition, tobacco inflicts a particularly heavy economic burden on women in developing countries. Women's health organizations in Western countries have a special responsibility in addressing, reducing, and preventing further expansion of the global tobacco epidemic among women.