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Lured by the fag
Girls, beware of women ‘model’ smokers
By Renu Warnasuriya and Priyanwada Ranawaka
Two p.m. An attractive, smartly dressed, long-legged young woman gets out of a car, parked outside a leading school. Leaning against the door, she takes a cigarette out of her handbag and lights up. Puffing huge circles of smoke, she glances at the children watching her. After a while she drives off.

There have been reports in the recent past that carefully chosen "models" are paid to smoke near girls' schools and popular hangouts such as nightclubs and shopping malls, where they catch the interest of impressionable youth.

"It's a 'below the line promotion' which is used for many products," says an advertising agency employee, explaining that many good marketers use this strategy to reach their target audience. Comparing it to a model who advertises an item of clothing, he says that here too the model is simply promoting the product.

Are young girls being targeted? And is the number of women smokers on the rise? Kumari Welegedara, Media Programme Officer of the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC), believes it is and says such practices are aimed at creating the image of the modern woman, fashionably dressed and driving an expensive car. "It is made to seem like smoking is essentially part of the package. There is an undercurrent working to get women smoking."

Statistics show that women smokers in Sri Lanka amount to around 1-2% of the female population, a small percentage compared to the 40% for the male population. But this is merely the tip of the iceberg. “We do not see what lies underneath," she says adding that there is an increasing trend of women smokers that will show up in the future.

Dr. Sajeeva Ranaweera, Chairman of the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, says similar statistics were seen in certain European countries several years ago. "Now there are more women smokers than men in those countries," he says adding that Sri Lanka may soon follow suit.

Dr. Ranaweera believes the current trend is to target women. "There is much concentration on the sophisticated, elite crowd," he says adding, "the real target is the masses. If the trend setters start smoking, the others will follow."

According to Ms. Welegedara, scientific studies have proved that there is indeed a connection between smoking and education. "We have found that many heavy smokers belong to the lower education strata," she says. This, however, cannot be generalised, as there are in fact highly-educated people who smoke. She, nevertheless, believes, that the high literacy rate among Sri Lankan women could be a contributory factor in keeping the number of women smokers down.

Most people, including schoolchildren are well aware of the adverse effects of smoking. "From grade eight onwards, the syllabus deals with the various medical problems associated with smoking," says Ms. Welegedara.

But this does not seem to be a deterrent as many smokers admit they know the dangers. "I know all about the risks, but I somehow can't see any of it happening to me. It's just too long term," says a woman smoker.

So what are the factors that influence women to smoke? Peer pressure seems to be one as many young women revealed that they actually began smoking because of their friends. "I just wanted to experiment because there was a lot of pressure on me to smoke and it seemed like a fun thing to do," says a 24-year-old woman who started smoking while still in school.

"I never thought I would end up being a chain smoker," adds another woman, just 21. Some women revealed that they smoke up to one and a half packets a day, burning more than Rs. 1500 a week. Many believe that the idea of a woman smoker has connotations of gender equality, women's liberation and empowerment. It has even been referred to as the "torch of freedom". In 1968, a foreign tobacco company marketed a particular type of cigarette for women with an advertising strategy revolving around this theme, with slogans like "You've come a long way, Baby" and "Find your voice".

Dr. Ranaweera, however, sees female smoking as a reversal of the liberation of women. "I don't see how an addiction can be a form of empowerment," he says. Citing the US Surgeon General's Report on Women and Smoking, Dr. Ranaweera explains that tobacco advertising geared towards women began as far back as the 1920s. Since then, advertisers have been using various techniques to reach women. A foreign company, for instance, attempted to associate cigarettes with slimness and dieting with slogans like "Reach for a ** instead of a sweet". The trend in Sri Lanka actually started several years ago, but seems to be catching on only now, he says.

Smoking to some is a form of relaxation. "It's just that you get used to it. Like some people crave a chocolate after lunch, I crave a cigarette," says one smoker. Certain manufacturers have even produced special cigarettes for women, different in taste and shape. Another popular promotional strategy involves entertainment. "Many films glorify women smokers," says Ms. Welegedara, adding that what is most inaccurate in such productions is the number of women smokers depicted. "In movies it seems as if it's the 'done thing', whereas in reality only a few women smoke," she says. Such productions seem to be promoting particular brands and logos, as there is unnecessary focus on visuals with the leading female star smoking, she adds.

"For a few of us, seeing our favourite actresses smoking would not make much of an impact, but to many others it could be an act of heroism," says a strict anti-smoker who feels there is too much emphasis placed on smoking in recent movies.

In response to the heavy criticism made on one of his latest films, director Asoka Handagama rejects accusations that his movies promote the idea of women smoking. "It's just a production of art where smoking is depicted but not glorified," he says, stressing that the women characters who smoke are not portrayed as heroines.

In rural areas, smoking 'beedis' and 'cigars' is more common. "We have heard of cases from the outstations as well, but the serious problem is in Colombo," says Ms. Welegedara. On a positive note, there are many programmes being carried out by ADIC and other organisations to create awareness among schoolgirls and young women of the risks involved in smoking. "This problem cannot be curbed legally, but only through protest and creating awareness," says Ms. Welegedara.

Dr. Ranaweera, however, sounds a warning against portraying smoking as an "adult activity" that could bring about a 'forbidden fruit syndrome'. "People have a tendency to want to do things they are not supposed to," he says.

Stay out of harm’s way
Smoking has serious effects on a person's health. Some of the well-known smoking-related diseases include cancer, heart disease, strokes, and lung diseases.

Statistics show that women smokers who die of a smoking-related disease lose on average 14 years of potential life. Giving up smoking could greatly reduce their risk of dying prematurely. The relative benefits of cessation are greater at younger ages, but stopping the habit is generally beneficial at all ages.

Adolescent smokers have reduced rates of lung growth, chronic coughing and wheezing while adult smokers experience a premature decline of lung functions as well. "The younger you start smoking, the earlier you become ill and the greater the damage will be," says Dr. Ranaweera.

Smoking is also the chief cause of coronary heart disease among women. The risk reduces within one or two years after they stop but increases with the number of cigarettes smoked and the duration of smoking. Women smokers have an increased risk of ischemic stroke (blood clot in one of the arteries supplying the brain) and subarachnoid haemorrhage (bleeding in the area surrounding the brain). Recent studies have shown that women smokers are more prone to heart diseases than men.

Smoking harms every aspect of menstrual and reproductive functions. Studies show that women smokers are at greater risk of infertility and find it more difficult to conceive. It also brings about various complications during pregnancy and can cause spontaneous abortions, premature birth, stillbirths, low birth weights and even infant deaths.

Smoking during pregnancy affects both the mother and the infant. Exposure to maternal smoking reduces the lung function of the infants. Nicotine can also cause constrictions in the blood vessels of the umbilical cord and the uterus. This condition may decrease the amount of oxygen available for the foetus. It also reduces the amount of blood in the foetal cardiovascular system. Nicotine is also found in breast milk. According to Dr. Ranaweera, women who quit smoking before or during pregnancy can evade or at least reduce such adverse outcomes.

Smoking also takes its toll on the appearance. It accelerates the aging of the skin. "Instead of looking sophisticated you just look older," Dr. Ranaweera says. Discolouring of teeth and fingernails, accelerated decay of teeth and gum diseases are also common.

"The damages of smoking are reversible unless the smoker has come to the point where the diseases have already occurred," says Dr. Ranaweera.

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