The number of female smokers in the upper middle economic class in England is increasing

Smoking interferes with women's fertility and has the potential to cause complications during pregnancy.

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

The smoking area in Terminal 2 of Juanda International Airport in Sidoarjo Regency, East Java, on Monday (15/3/2022). Domestic flights that usually take place at Terminal 2 (T2) of Juanda International Airport will be temporarily suspended starting on Wednesday (22/4/2020).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The number of female smokers in the UK in the upper middle class economic group has increased in the last 10 years. This should be a warning because smoking in women can have a bad impact on health, fertility and pregnancy.

The proportion of upper middle class female smokers in England aged 18-45 years increased from 12 percent in 2013 to 15 percent in 2023. This is shown in research conducted by University College London which was published in the journal BMC Medicine on April 18, 2024.

However, the proportion of female smokers in the lower middle class has been found to decrease from 29 percent to 22 percent. Meanwhile, in the male group, the smoking rate from all backgrounds tends to remain stable.

Also read: Cigarettes, Poverty and Women

Quoted from the BBC, the lead author of the study, Sarah Jackson, said that the increasing number of female smokers from the middle to upper socioeconomic backgrounds is a cause for concern. Nevertheless, further research is still needed to determine the cause of this increase.

"Reducing smoking habits is very important for women in this age group because smoking disrupts fertility and increases the likelihood of complications during pregnancy, miscarriage, and negatively impacts the health of the baby," said Sarah.

KOMPAS/ALIF ICHWAN

To overcome air pollution, apart from limiting smoking places, we also enforce a smoking ban in designated places.

The study also mentioned that the majority of smokers use hand-rolled cigarettes. Among female smokers aged 18-45 years, the proportion of hand-rolled cigarette smokers increased from 41 percent to 61 percent.

Reducing smoking habits is very important for women in this age group because smoking can disrupt fertility and increase the risk of complications during pregnancy, miscarriage, and have negative impacts on the health of the baby.

Senior researcher colleague in the tobacco and alcohol research group at University College London, Sharon Cox, said that although the exact cause of the increase in smoking habits among women in the upper middle class is still unknown, a lack of financial pressure on this group could be a factor. "Some people may have also switched to cheaper roll-your-own cigarettes," she said.

Electronic cigarettes

The study also found that the use of electronic cigarettes or vaping has increased more than threefold over the past decade. The use of electronic cigarettes among those aged 18-45 has increased by 5 percent, from 15 percent in 2013 to 20 percent in 2023. The most significant increase occurred after 2021.

Also read: Misconceptions about the "Safety" of Electric Cigarettes

In a study conducted by The National Health Service (NHS), it was reported that the number of 15-year-old girls using electronic cigarettes has doubled since 2018. In 2021, 21 percent of 15-year-old girls admitted to using electronic cigarettes. The increase in electronic cigarette use was higher among females.

In an article written by The Guardian on September 5 2023, the increase in the use of e-cigarettes was triggered by easy access to e-cigarettes in the community. Apart from that, the use of flavors in e-cigarettes is also a factor that can attract the attention of the young age group.

The increase in the use of electronic cigarettes has also been reported in Indonesia. The results of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey in 2021 showed that the prevalence of electronic cigarette users in Indonesia reached 3 percent. This number has significantly increased from 0.3 percent in 2011.

The increasing number of electronic cigarette users in society, especially among young people, has become a concern for various countries. In France, a ban on the use of electronic cigarettes will soon be enforced. In addition, Australia has also banned the use of disposable electronic cigarettes. Germany has also banned the use of flavored heated tobacco products.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that electronic cigarettes increase the risk of heart and lung disease, as well as affecting brain development and fetal health. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a press release in mid-December 2023, urged every country to tighten regulations on the use of electronic cigarettes.

MEDSOS KOMPAS/ANTONIUS SULISTYO P

Residents consume electronic cigarettes in Jakarta, on Wednesday (30/8/2023). Users consume electronic cigarettes by inhaling liquid that has been heated using battery-based electric heaters. While conventional cigarettes produce smoke, electronic cigarettes produce vapor or aerosols.

Controlling e-cigarettes is very important to protect non-smokers from negative health impacts. E-cigarettes are not effective in stopping the use of tobacco products. E-cigarettes have actually been proven to have a bad impact on public health. The influence of e-cigarettes on children and teenagers is also getting stronger.

Also read: Government Don't Hesitate to Strengthen Smoking Control Regulations

Therefore, WHO is urging every country to have strong regulations to reduce the appeal of electronic cigarette products. This can be done by banning the addition of flavors to electronic cigarette products, restricting the concentration and quality of nicotine, and imposing taxes on nicotine.