Female smokers go though a much more difficult time when trying to give up smoking, than male smokers do, because they usually light up a cigarette in an attempt to overcome stress, depression and other emotional problems, showed a research by Hon Kong University.

The research resulted from a nationwide survey of female smokers, and their smoking habits carried out by Hong Kong University School of Medicine research team. Four years, in 2006, the School scientists have established a special smoking cessation counseling program aimed only at women. The program was named “Smoking Cessation Service for Female Smokers.”

340 women, with an average age of 35, took part in the research. According to the research results 26.5 percent of surveyed women successfully kicked down the habit after attending the program. This number is a slight increase from previous survey, when 21.9 percent of women admitted they had managed to give up smoking after going through ordinary cessation programs. Among male smokers, 28 percent of those who attended the gender-specific counseling managed to quit lighting up.

Doctor Elena Chen Siu-Wee, chairwoman of the Nursing Studies department at Hong Kong University mentioned that the growth in the smoking cessation rates may not seem very significant, but it is essential for the long-term perspective.

However, the researcher admitted that the Public health officials should take into consideration the principle of differentiation of the program according to gender, because women and men have different motivations to smoke, so they need to have different motives to give it up. She added that nicotine cravings, especially the physical part of it, is a serious problems for female smokers, as the majority of them tend to turn to cigarettes, when they have various problems, so the cessation program should consider those psychological issues.

The research as well concluded that the hike in tobacco taxes which was implemented last year resulted in the increase of the number of female smokers willing to participate in the cessation program. Professor Yu Bai-Ling, head of the school of public health stated that the government should consider raising the tobacco tax again in 2010, as it could lead to a 10 percent smokers who succeeded in giving up.

The scientist underlined that visual warnings on tobacco products are not effective, as they are too soft and thus, should be renovated to have a greater influence on smokers. The government should also ban cigarette displays on stores’ shelves because colorful packs attract customers and fascinate them as well as those smokers, who are trying to give up the habit. In addition, he said that they would begin offering more specialized cessation programs, which are proved to be more effective.

By Sara Norton, Staff Writer. Copyright © 2010 Cigarette-Store.org. All rights reserved.