If you're trying to stop smoking, how important is it to you on a scale of one to ten? If a new survey by stop smoking charity QUIT is anything to go by, women who are trying to give up cigarettes say quitting is more important than improving their career and having a happy relationship.
Three million women in the UK want to quit smoking. Photo: Flickr, Valentin.Ottone
That's some statement. The survey also points out that there are three million women in the UK who want to give up their nicotine habit, but it also claims many are confused about the health risks associated with smoking.
Some women don't realise that smoking is linked with premature ageing and wrinkles, the survey suggests. And while the majority know smoking is a risk factor for lung, mouth and throat cancer, almost half don't realise it can also increase your chances of having a stroke (double in heavy smokers). Even fewer of the women involve in the survey were aware that smoking increases the risk of cervical cancer.
QUIT quizzed 240 women smokers for the survey, which was carried out to coincide with the launch of a new website called Quit With Help. Half of the women trying to quit said stress made quitting more difficult, while a quarter claimed they were worried giving up might make them put on weight. And that, say experts from QUIT, could partly explain why more men stop smoking successfully each year despite the fact that more women than men say they want to give up.
Are you struggling with giving up cigarettes? If you have managed to quit, how did you do it?