The predominance of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke among men in France has dropped by 15% since the mid 1980s, but over the same period has risen among women. As, a result researches from the World Health Organization French MONICA declared that the divergent smoking rate showed changes in the mortality rate from heart diseases in French men and women since 1985, an estimated decrease among men of 10-15%, but an increase in women by 0.1-3.6%.

“The predominance of smoking among men has been increased during 60 years and currently is falling, whereas women began to smoke more frequently,” researches state.

The main objectives of this study were to evaluate trends in the predominance of adult smoking between 1985-1987 and 2005-2007 in France and their possible influence on heart diseases and mortality rate.

The results of the study are based on answers of mid-life adults aged 35-64. Each of them asked on a set of questions, as current smoking, the number of cigarettes smoked per day, first cigarette, pipe or cigar use, attempt to stop smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke. The answers gave a brief description of smoking trends in France.

The study found:

• Smoking among men - aged 35-64 years
• An evident fall in current smoking from 40% to 24.3%
• Predominance among former smokers remained the same 37%
• Predominance of never smokers raised 24.7% to 38.2 %
• Smoking among women - aged 35-64 years
• A small increase in smoking rate from 18.9% to 20 %
• A raise of predominance among former smokers from 24.7% to 38.2%
• An evident drop in the predominance of never smokers from 72.4% to 54.6%

“Men have decreased their exposure to smoke from 40% to 24.3%, demonstrating a forecasted drop in mortality rate from heart diseases. Women on the contrary have raised their exposure thus increasing the morality rate from heart diseases,” Dr. Jean Dallongeville from the INSERM Institut Pasteur in Lille, France declared, while speaking about the results of this study.

These findings may partially explain the decrease in heart disease mortality among men during the study period, which are not seen in women. But he also recognized the influence of other factors on trends in mortality rate from heart diseases.

The recent surveys demonstrated that in 2005-2007, one third of men aged 35-44 and one quarter of women declared that they are heavy smokers, with no evident raise in the number of attempts to quit the habit.

“In order to continue the decrease in the level of risk factors for heart diseases, a particular influence should be maintained on anti-smoking initiatives,” Dr. Dallongeville concluded.