Women & Smoking - COPD

by Meagan Cooney

There’s another accessory in the hands of many American women—and its not a handbag or lipstick. What is it? A cigarette.

In fact, cigarettes have been marketed as the antithesis to objects of cultural femininity, a way of becoming part of the working world, joining the boys and adopting their practices. “You’ve come a long way, baby” was used as a cigarette marketing slogan of the 60s and 70s aimed at career minded women. The campaign triggered a sense of accomplishment, ignoring toxicity of the product, and focused on cigarette smoking as a reward. Smoking, the campaign suggested, offers women a mechanism for control, for keeping off unwanted pounds as an appetite suppressant, for taking the edge of off a hard day’s work. But there are serious consequences which continue to put a person’s health at risk for years after they quit smoking.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) affects one in four adults over the age of forty-five by hindering their ability to breathe. Twelve million Americans are diagnosed with COPD and another twelve million have the disease but are unaware of it. The early signs are easy enough to rationalize away—you have a cold and thus that’s why it is a bit more difficult to catch you breathe, but COPD is progressive and becomes incrementally worse, as less and less air is utilized by the lungs. It has become an even greater public health problem in recent years as those who grew up exposed to the marketing geared towards women and began smoking during that period are now part of the demographic likely to be affected by COPD.

Even though COPD can occur years after smoking has ceased, it can be treated. For women particularly, the results can be dramatic. Women show marked improvement in lung function ompared to men when they quit smoking. A diagnosis of COPD can be frightening, but early treatment increases potential for greatly improved quality of life. Exercise helps to lessen the effects of COPD, as it expands lung capacity and can help to control weight gain. 75% of women report wantin to quit smoking, but it is not as easy as just saying so. To help quit smoking, check out BREATHE LA online resources and learn more about COPD.