Female smokers 'double in Russia'

Smoking rates have more than doubled in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union, researchers say.

The Bath University-led team said "aggressive targeting" of women by tobacco firms was behind the rise.

Researchers monitoring 7,000 people over 11 years found 7% of women smoked in 1992, compared with 15% in 2003, the Tobacco Control journal reports.

Manufacturer British American Tobacco said the increase was due to Russians having more money for cigarettes.

The researchers, who also included teams from University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said tobacco advertising had been virtually non-existent in the Soviet Union.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7209551.stm