Women and tobacco
WHO
The tobacco industry targets women and girls. World No Tobacco Day 2010 focuses on gender.
25 May 2010
In the WHO European Region, 21% of women smoke: more than in any other region in the world, but still significantly less than the 59% of European men who smoke. The tobacco industry has long seen women as a distinct market. An upcoming new WHO/Europe publication provides examples of the innovative ways in which the industry now recruits women and girls, the particular health risks associated with smoking for women, and the methods used by civil-society organizations and governments to fight back. WHO calls on all governments to impose comprehensive bans on all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, as called for by Article 13 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and its guidelines. World No Tobacco Day 2010 focuses on gender, with an emphasis on marketing to women.
