 Tobacco
The #1 cancer killer among women has increased by 600% in the last fifty
years, along with cigarette consumption by women.
(http://www.intheknowzone.com/tobacco/stats.htm)
Within two years of quitting, the risk of death from heart disease declines
24 percent. Quitting for 10 to 14 years produces a risk level
almost equal with someone who never smoked. (Nurses' Health Study, Brigham and
Women's Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health, 1993
Nearly 20% of eighth-grade girls reported using cigarettes within the
past 30 days. (Monitoring the Future, 1998)
Stress and depression are related to smoking for girls. Two-thirds of
girls who say they smoke several cigarettes or more per week, say they
do so to relieve stress. Girls with depressive symptoms are more than
twice as likely to smoke (23%) as girls with low or no depressive symptoms.
(11%) Commonwealth Fund. 1997)
The initiation of smoking in girls is associated with attaining desired
self-image, feelings of maturity, independence, sexuality, health, and
sociability. Frequent dieting is also found to increase the likelihood
of smoking in girls in grades 7-12. (French, S.A. and Perry, C.L. 1996
Journal of the American Medical Women's Association, 51(1&2): 25-28)
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