What are some of the reasons women smoke?
Women smoke for many different reasons in addition to being physically addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes. When you are thinking about how smoking affects your health, it can help to know why you smoke. The following are some of the reasons that women smoke: • to cope with stress or anger; • to avoid eating or to control weight; • to cope with poverty or unemployment; • smoking can seem like an old friend; • smoking can be a reward after completing a task; • to take a break from caring for others, such as children or elderly parents; • to take a break from work responsibilities; • to cope with relationship problems; • to cope with feelings of powerlessness; • to cope with the loneliness or boredom of social isolation; • to maintain social connections; • to create distance to cope with uncomfortable or dangerous social situations, addiction to other substances such as alcohol; or • to give themselves a sense of control. When you figure out some of the reasons that you smoke, you may
