Tobacco use causes more health problems for women than any other preventable factor, according to a 2001 report released by the U.S. Surgeon General and the Department of Health and Human Services. A small percentage of women use smokeless tobacco products such as chewing tobacco and snuff. However, most women who use tobacco smoke cigarettes.

Tobacco use can have a significant impact on a woman’s reproductive health. For example, women who smoke cigarettes while using oral contraceptives (birth control pills) dramatically increase their risk of heart attack. Smoking can also cause menstrual irregularities, infertility  and delayed conception, early menopause and reduced bone density (osteoporosis).

Women who are pregnant are also at increased risk of health problems if they smoke. These risks include premature birth, ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage. Meanwhile, the fetus may suffer from a number of complications, including low birth weight and lifelong health problems. Tobacco use also increases the risk that a baby will die from stillbirth or conditions such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Cigarettes kill an estimated 178,000 women in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since 1980, when the first Surgeon General’s report on women and tobacco use was released, about 3 million women have died prematurely of smoking-related diseases. According to the American Lung Association, lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer as the most deadly cancer among women every year since 1987.

However, women who stop using tobacco at any age are likely to experience health-related benefits. The addictive properties of nicotine can make this a difficult process. Women who try to quit smoking often find themselves struggling to succeed, but treatment techniques may help in this process. Options may include nicotine patches or gum, behavioral treatments, cessation programs or self-help materials.