As well as the risks to heart and lung health that male smokers face, women who smoke are also at increased risk of cancer of the cervix, a range of problems relating to reproductive health, and osteoporosis.
Ruth Bosworth, of Quit, an independent stop smoking charity, said: "This research demonstrates that women are unintentionally putting their nicotine addiction ahead of the health of their children. Smokers are sacrificing their own health and, in the case of mums, the health of their children as well."
But Simon Clark of the smokers' rights group Forest said: "I don't think parents should give in to emotional blackmail. There are so many things in life that carry a health risk; drinking too much or eating the wrong food. Smoking comes under that category."
20% of smokers would like to give up before the smoking ban comes in this year. If all were successful, around 1.25 million premature deaths could be prevented, say the organisers of No Smoking Day, as one in two smokers die early.
A range of measures, including NHS stop smoking services and nicotine replacement therapy, are available to those who want to quit. In addition, researchers at Exeter University say short bouts of exercise can help people resist the temptation to have a cigarette.
Keith Prowse, chairman of the British Lung Foundation, added: "If we truly want to protect people's health we have to make sure that effective services are in place to help them give up."
March 2007
The survey was commissioned by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer.
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