Ready to kick the habit? Women might find it harder to put out that cigarette butt

The desire to quit is an overwhelming one for smokers of all genders. But did you know that women find it harder to quit smoking compared to men?

A new study published in the European Society of Cardiology, says, even though women are less dependent on nicotine versus men, they find it harder to kick the butt.

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Researchers say, women's brains respond differently to nicotine. Add to that, barriers like obesity, stress, anxiety and depression, and it was found that instances of women giving up smoking was less than men.

For the study, researchers examined more than 35,000 smokers including men and women from 2001 to 2018 in France. The participants were 18 and older with at least one additional risk factor for cardiovascular disease. All these people used smoking cessation services such as nicotine replacement products, vaping and one-to-one therapy sessions.

The study showed that the average number of cigarettes smoked by women was 23 daily, while for men it was 27, but 55% of men abstained from smoking, compared with 52% of women.

Scientists also observed that 56% of women had a severe nicotine dependence compared to 60% of men.

Another barrier, scientists say when it comes to women smokers, is the worry of gaining weight post quitting. Culturally too, the stigma of weight gain is faced more by women, which in turn affects their ability to quit.

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