Are there gender differences in tobacco smoking? Several avenues of research now indicate that men and women differ in their smoking behavior and that differences in nicotine sensitivity may be the root cause. Studies of smoking behavior seem to indicate that women smoke fewer cigarettes per day, tend to use cigarettes with lower nicotine content, and do not inhale as deeply as men. Whether this is because of differences in sensitivity to nicotine is an important research question. Some researchers are finding that women may be more affected by factors other than nicotine, such as the sensory aspects of the smoke or social factors, than they are by nicotine itself.
The number of smokers in the United States declined in the 1970s and 1980s, but has been relatively stable throughout the 1990s. Because this decline of smoking was greater among men than women, the prevalence of smoking is only slightly higher for men today than it is for women. Several factors appear to be contributing to this trend, including increased initiation of smoking among female teens and, more critically, women being less likely than men to quit smoking.
Large-scale smoking-cessation trials show that women are less likely to initiate quitting and may be more likely to relapse if they do quit. In cessation programs using nicotine replacement methods, such as the patch or gum, the nicotine does not seem to reduce craving as effectively for women as for men. Other factors that may contribute to women's difficulty with quitting are that the withdrawal syndrome may be more intense for women and that they appear more likely than men to gain weight upon quitting. It is important for women entering smoking cessation programs to be aware that standard treatment regimens may have to be adjusted to compensate for gender differences in nicotine sensitivity. |
