Smoking and Gender

Pictured above, smoking, is Cheryl Cole. Tentatively reknown on the X Factor as 'the nation's sweetheart' the picture above displays that despite recent controversies towards smoking, the culture of it is still very much alive.





Many people do not know that Cheryl, 26 does indeed smoke. How would parents feel seeing this picture of one of the U.K's biggest role model's condoning smoking? Cheryl, however, is not the only female smoker amongst superstars. Iconic figures of their time such a Marilyn Monroe and Madonna have both been pictured smoking, as during the time of their photographs a woman smoking was considered a strong, emancipated image. It could also be argued that due to women not always being equal to men, it gave women a sense of rebellion against their stereotype. Confidence is also an issue. A recent survey was taken where 43% of women, even today, feel more confident when they have a cigarette in their hand. Why is this so? Maybe even after years of striving for equality in events such as the Suffragette Movement, is it true some women still lack confidence more than men?











The survey, conducted in 2002, also shows that 1/4 of women in the UK smoke, where as 1/3 of men do. Interestingly, this number is reversed when looking at younger smokers in the UK. The survey showed that 25% of 15 year old girls smoke, whereas only 19% of 15 year old boys do. There could be many reasons for this result. Smoking is known as a substitute for food. Young girls look up to idols such as models and actresses, who are on the most part quite thin, and want to look like them. During the time period of this survey, many young girls seeked a role model in Britney Spears, another regular smoker. Many girls may also start but be scared to stop smoking due to the estimated weight gain of 2-3 kilos whilst giving up.

Another reason girls may smoke more than younger boys is due to emotional stresses of a young teenage girl. 61% of female smokers said that they could not go a day without a cigarette, compared to 56% of men. Women are known to be more emotional than men, so many women may feel more emotionally attatched to cigarettes. When asking a female friend why she smoked, her reply was that 'it calms me down and helps with my emotional problems.'











Overall, the survey has shown that women feel more confident, and more emotionally attatched to cigarettes than men. Younger girls also sometimes feel like that need to smoke in order to be thin like their idols, and follow their lead. Something that could be drawn from the fact that girls are more emotionally attatched is that they may feel the need to copy idols such as Cheryl Cole and Britney Spears in order to be more like them.

http://www.smokefreederbyshire.co.uk/Content-WomenandsmokingPage