Women stop smoking harder than men

Women have more difficulty than men to quit and relapse more often in an attempt to stop the Allies in association whose campaign launched cessation is designed specifically for smokers.
In the United States, the prevalence of tobacco-related cancers now exceeds that of breast cancer. This evolution, cruel testimony to the growth of smoking among women since the 1960s, should be the same in France a few years if nothing is done by then.

Launching an information campaign on smoking cessation, the Allies association composed of physicians in various specialties, particularly aimed at smokers. Both infomercials focused on one dependency, the other on relapse were indeed released in women's magazines, said Dr. François Lebargy, pulmonologist at the University Hospital of Reims, in a press conference .

"Women are receiving" messages on smoking cessation and "are the main target of tomorrow," said the specialist.

Besides the fact that they are more likely to smoke, they also have more difficulties than men to quit and relapse more easily in an attempt to stop, but the reasons have been clearly identified.

Fear of weight gain is certainly not indifferent to their plight, suggested Dr. Albert Ouazana, GP, adding that swelled usually a man in smoking cessation. The problem is even more difficult to take care that it is strongly recommended to provide a diet in parallel, the chances of success of one and then the other being almost zero, assured the doctor.

However, a French study, called GT2002, published in a British magazine, showed no weight gain in pregnant women who quit smoking during pregnancy, compared with those who did not stop, argued the Dr. Henri-Jean Aubin (Centre for treatment of addiction to Emile Roux hospital Limeil-Brévannes), highlighting the complexity of the phenomenon of weight gain associated with smoking cessation.

Moreover, a drug in phase 3 clinical trial, may soon see the day when the results observed during the first two phases are confirmed: he indeed reduced significantly the weight gain associated with smoking cessation in smokers.

But in the meantime, "the only thing to do is for the doctor to explain that the weight gain is the price, at least in the short term," concluded the expert.