IN THE old days, women who smoked were considered loose. Nowadays more and more women are boldly taking their place beside men in smoking rooms and lighting up their own cigarettes in spite of the dangers.
In South Africa about 10percent of women smoke and among 12- to 16-year-old youths about 10 percent of girls had smoked at least one or more times during the previous 30 days, according to the World Health Organisation.
Sadly, each year there are also about 44400 deaths from smoking in South Africa, with three times as many deaths among men as women.
Asiphe Ndlela, a clinical psychologist in Illovo, says while the thought of a lipstick-tipped cigarette might still shock some people, smoking women are getting more attention from men.
"In the old days most men shied away from women smokers because they were seen as lax and disrespectful, Ndlela says.
"Men would not even look tin the direction of a woman who smoked. These days women smokers are getting husbands and children and they carry on with their habit in full view of in-laws, something that used to be taboo," she says.
What attracts men to women who smoke?
Lunga Qhuma, a nonsmoker married to a smoking woman, says: "There is strength about a cigarette smoking woman. She is self-confident, secure and ready to fly in the face of the criticism of her family and friends.
"She is prepared to present herself with a prop that at the very least will draw attention, if not conversation. She is armed with a keen, incisive mind that will deal with the comments, criticisms, stupid questions, catcalls and a plethora of come-ons she will attract as she draws on her smoke," he says.
He says what attracted him to his wife was the fact that she didn't care about breaking a few rules.
Ndlela says men like women who aren't afraid to break rules and take risks.
"They know that these are the kind of women who might just let them put their feet up on their couches with their shoes on, or stand shoulder to shoulder with them at 3am in front of the refrigerator, drinking coke right out of the bottle. They know these women just might rock their world," Ndlela says.
Why are the numbers of women smokers increasing despite knowing the health ramifications of smoking?
Ndlela says stress is a big factor.
"Females are expected to work full-time, take care of households, raise children, and still have time to be attentive wives. And don't forget about single women, who still have to run households, possibly raise children, work, and pay all the bills themselves," Ndlela says.
She says another factor that starts teenage girls on the path to addictive smoking are impossible body standards and impossible academic demands.
"Girls see ridiculously thin actresses (known to have private eating disorders) portraying "real life." Smoking can suppress the appetite to keep weight off.
"Unreasonable academic demands also push teenage girls to relieve stress by smoking," Ndlela says.
She says that some teens see smoking is an act of rebellion against social pressures to be feminine, perfect and nice.
"Smoking is seen as a way to gain independence from parents and is viewed as a way to make friends and be accepted by peers.
Movies and TV are also to blame for portraying women smokers as sultry and having sex appeal.
Most forms of media do not promote smoking, but they no longer dissuade it either," Ndlela says.
She says a few years ago there was a public media campaign that warned of the dangers of smoking. Today, a whole new crop of young women do not see concrete reasons for not smoking.
What can smoking do to your sex life by Zintle Mbuqe
- Smokers stink. It is not pleasurable to kiss someone who smells of cigarettes.
- Women who smoke are more likely to get pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS)
- Smoking women have reduced fertility.
- Smoking accelerates the development of lines on your face, making you look older than you are. Stained teeth, bad breath, the cigarette stench that hangs onto your clothes and hair can be a big turn off.
- Smokers run out of breath easily - and out of sexual stamina too.
Smoking is sexy to some
IN THE old days, women who smoked were considered loose. Nowadays more and more women are boldly taking their place beside men in smoking rooms and lighting up their own cigarettes in spite of the dangers.
In South Africa about 10percent of women smoke and among 12- to 16-year-old youths about 10 percent of girls had smoked at least one or more times during the previous 30 days, according to the World Health Organisation.
Sadly, each year there are also about 44400 deaths from smoking in South Africa, with three times as many deaths among men as women.
Asiphe Ndlela, a clinical psychologist in Illovo, says while the thought of a lipstick-tipped cigarette might still shock some people, smoking women are getting more attention from men.
"In the old days most men shied away from women smokers because they were seen as lax and disrespectful, Ndlela says.
"Men would not even look tin the direction of a woman who smoked. These days women smokers are getting husbands and children and they carry on with their habit in full view of in-laws, something that used to be taboo," she says.
What attracts men to women who smoke?
Lunga Qhuma, a nonsmoker married to a smoking woman, says: "There is strength about a cigarette smoking woman. She is self-confident, secure and ready to fly in the face of the criticism of her family and friends.
"She is prepared to present herself with a prop that at the very least will draw attention, if not conversation. She is armed with a keen, incisive mind that will deal with the comments, criticisms, stupid questions, catcalls and a plethora of come-ons she will attract as she draws on her smoke," he says.
He says what attracted him to his wife was the fact that she didn't care about breaking a few rules.
Ndlela says men like women who aren't afraid to break rules and take risks.
"They know that these are the kind of women who might just let them put their feet up on their couches with their shoes on, or stand shoulder to shoulder with them at 3am in front of the refrigerator, drinking coke right out of the bottle. They know these women just might rock their world," Ndlela says.
Why are the numbers of women smokers increasing despite knowing the health ramifications of smoking?
Ndlela says stress is a big factor.
"Females are expected to work full-time, take care of households, raise children, and still have time to be attentive wives. And don't forget about single women, who still have to run households, possibly raise children, work, and pay all the bills themselves," Ndlela says.
She says another factor that starts teenage girls on the path to addictive smoking are impossible body standards and impossible academic demands.
"Girls see ridiculously thin actresses (known to have private eating disorders) portraying "real life." Smoking can suppress the appetite to keep weight off.
"Unreasonable academic demands also push teenage girls to relieve stress by smoking," Ndlela says.
She says that some teens see smoking is an act of rebellion against social pressures to be feminine, perfect and nice.
"Smoking is seen as a way to gain independence from parents and is viewed as a way to make friends and be accepted by peers.
Movies and TV are also to blame for portraying women smokers as sultry and having sex appeal.
Most forms of media do not promote smoking, but they no longer dissuade it either," Ndlela says.
She says a few years ago there was a public media campaign that warned of the dangers of smoking. Today, a whole new crop of young women do not see concrete reasons for not smoking.
What can smoking do to your sex life by Zintle Mbuqe
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