Smoking: Ladies, Please Butt Out!

What's wrong with this picture - you see a girl (she's Indian) with long, dark hair. She has hazel-coloured eyes with a cute smile. She's sitting amongst a big group of friends. From your point of view, she looks carefree and fun to be around. She appears to be a snappy dresser, with a matching bindi between her perfectly shaped eyebrows. Clearly, she has a balance of eastern and western values. She looks like she's self-confident and sophisticated. She's the type of girl you'd want to be friends with.

Then, she's handed a lit cigarette by one of her male friends. She puts it to her lips and inhales. A few seconds later, a cloud of smoke escapes from her glossy lips. I can sum my feelings up in one expression: "Ewwww!"

The tobacco epidemic - which was earlier restricted to men has now spread to women.

I know I am at risk of being bombarded by angry readers for what I'm about to say, but keep in mind that this is merely my opinion. I invite you to email or SMS me about your views on this issue.

I detest being in the company of smokers, especially those with no consideration of others and blow their dirty air in my face. This leaves me with a stench that sticks to my body and clothing for hours after. Even though I have been told that we aren't living in the dark ages anymore, I have a serious problem with women who smoke. Even more, I can't stand the sight of an Indian woman smoking.

Sure, times have changed and Indian women don't want to be stuck in a kitchen with their mothers-in-law rolling roti all day. Many are academic-driven and career-orientated. With all this, comes independence and confidence within themselves. But I just don't understand why women think they cut a glamorous picture to be seen with a cigarette in their hand.

A recent study in the UK revealed that women are twice as likely to develop an untreatable form of lung cancer than men. In fact, lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of death among women. It appears that the majority of female smokers are aware of the health hazards that come with smoking, but they still prefer to go ahead with it.

But besides the obvious health risks that exist, the question I pose to you is: "Why do women choose to smoke?"

Does it symbolize a rebellious attitude towards the male dominance? Or does it signify a "don't-care" attitude? While we don't realize it at first, media play such a big part of our lives, and many of us are guilty of being brainwashed by advertisements. Tobacco products are promoted to us as a means of attaining maturity, gaining confidence, being sexually attractive and in control of one's destiny. As a result, women are being victimized by tobacco companies who create false images of good health, fitness, stress relief, beauty and being slim...all in the name of marketing their deathly products.

I often question why many men find women who smoke to be sexy and alluring. I have found that those who do are smokers themselves. But I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised to find that some young men I spoke to did not find women who smoke to be appealing at all. One of them is 21-year-old Himesh Trivedi, who says, "It's a filthy and disgusting habit. It's not our culture. In this day and age, we tend to become too westernized."

So...is smoking a western craze?

I have been told, "If men can smoke, why can't women smoke?" Smoking is becoming one of the major agendas of feminism all over the world. This habit among females has become a universal cultural norm and more women are actively and publicly smoking. By speaking to female smokers, I have found that many have taken up smoking to gain prominence against their male counterparts. They are trying to acknowledge their liberty and they do so by lighting up a death stick.

Let us not forget the issue of peer pressure. It is more challenging to say "no" to a large group of friends. Imagine you're the only one who doesn't smoke amongst your group of friends. Surely, in time you will feel left out and there is a great possibility that you will try it out. You may enjoy it, and think you look ultra-cool.

We live in a society where male smoking is an established norm, and again I am at risk of saying this, but in my opinion, women are the better halves of society. After all, where would we be without loving mothers and wives? Because of this, they really ought to act that way. I'm not saying women should wear aprons and look picture perfect all the time, but instead of smoking themselves to death, why don't they motivate their other halves to quite this disgusting and deathly habit? By doing so, not only are we conserving the environment, but you're also probably adding many more years to your life!