Italian women find it harder to stop smoking

(ANSA) – Milan, November 6 – Italian women find it harder to quit smoking than men, according to a study released Wednesday. The report, commissioned by the Italian chapter of Women Against Lung Cancer, showed that 6% of female smokers said they quit in 2013 compared to 13% of their male counterparts. Data also showed that some 10 million Italians smoke, lighting up an average of 14 times a day. Some 4.5 million of them are women, with an average age range of 25-54. One in four has underage children, and those who stop during pregnancy tend to pick up the habit again within eight months after childbirth – half of them within only two months. But the total number of Italian smokers is on the decline, down from 31% of the total population in 1997 to 21% in 2013. The study was launched as part of the group’s Stop Smoking campaign in November, which is dedicated to raise awareness of lung cancer. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED