Quitting Smoking Is Harder for Women Smoking is a notoriously difficult habit to kick. But female smokers have long been said to have more trouble quitting than their male counterparts. Anahad O'Connor tackles health myths. According to conventional wisdom, nicotine replacement aids are less effective for women, and women are more fearful of gaining weight after quitting. There is even speculation that menstrual cycles worsen tobacco withdrawal symptoms. But in the largest related epidemiological study to date, published in the journal Tobacco Control, researchers found no evidence to support the claim. In the study, a team at University College London analyzed data for more than 100,000 smokers in the United States, Britain and Canada. They found that women were slightly more likely than men to successfully quit smoking before age 50. The reverse was true among people over 60, though higher death rates from smoking among older men may have affected that finding, the researchers said. But over all, when they looked at all those who were able to stay cigarette-free for over a year - including avoiding smokeless tobacco - they found little difference between the sexes. The authors said it was important to dispel the myth, lest it discourage women from trying to quit. According to the strongest data, men do not have an easier time giving up smoking than women.