The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: To provide portraits of the status of women and women's tobacco trends in countries around the world, and to suggest actions to prevent or reduce tobacco use among women and girls.

Method:

The British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health (BCCEWH) and the International Network of Women Against Tobacco (INWAT) have partnered to write a report about the current tobacco epidemic among women and girls across the world.

Twelve countries encompassing all WHO regions and all four stages of the worldwide tobacco epidemic (using Lopez et al model) have been closely examined and reported upon by women and tobacco experts in respective countries. In addition to reporting prevalence trends and current tobacco control legislation in each country, this chapter explores the social environment in which tobacco use occurs among women. By incorporating information on the status of women in society, political representation of female leaders and woman-specific tobacco products, this report provides a unique examination of women's tobacco use.

Results: Challenges related to women and tobacco use vary around the world. Where current use is still minimal among women, efforts are needed to maintain the low prevalence and prevent women from initiating cigarette smoking. Where women's tobacco use has peaked and is now declining, tailored programs are needed to engage subpopulations where prevalence remains high. In all cases, tobacco use interventions must take into account the status of women in the country and promote gender equality along with tobacco prevention and reduction.