Disturbing trend of casual, social smoking among young women professionals
Casual and social smoking is on the rise among young working women across Indian metros with many of them considering it to be a "stress buster", says a survey. This is a "disturbing trend" and women must realize that by smoking cigarettes they are posing a danger to their heart's health, said an ASSOCHAM official. ASSOCHAM's Social Development Foundation conducted the survey. Here's more.
2,000 young women across 10 cities surveyed
The survey was conducted in the past four weeks to ascertain the smoking behavior/pattern in young working women, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) stated. ASSOCHAM's social development arm analyzed about 2,000 women in the age group of 22 to 30 years in ten urban centers, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Pune, it said.
Women must realize smoking is uncool: ASSOCHAM official
"A growing number of young working women (mostly with high-paying jobs and active life) are indulging in social smoking. They must realize it is 'uncool' and they are placing their heart health at risk by occasionally indulging in cigarettes," ASSOCHAM Secretary General DS Rawat said.
2% women smoked one or more cigarette-packs a day
Only 2% of the total women surveyed said they were "heavy smokers" (smoking a pack a day or more); a majority of them blamed peer pressure and work-related stress for their smoking habits. Some even said they smoked for weight loss. About 40% women identified themselves as "very light smokers", with a habit of smoking one to two cigarettes either daily or occasionally.
This is a disturbing trend: Rawat
"More and more number of young women can be seen all around commercial hubs in metros enjoying a smoke comfortably with their colleagues, this is certainly a disturbing trend," said ASSOCHAM's DS Rawat.
Some women smoke as they perceive it as cool
Many of the surveyed women also said they mostly smoked when they took alcoholic drinks and that too socially. About 12% said they were "light smokers" (smoking two to three cigarettes a day). Some of them women revealed they smoked casually, perceiving it to be "cool" factor, and said it gave them a feeling of attractiveness, independence, and sophistication.
