y ▁weight ▁control ▁techniques , ▁are ▁at ▁a ▁higher ▁risk ▁of ▁sm oking . ▁ ▁History ▁in ▁advert ising ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁always ▁soci ally ▁acceptable ▁for ▁women ▁to ▁smoke ▁c igare tt es ▁or ▁use ▁to b acco ▁in ▁public . ▁However , ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁about ▁fifty ▁years , ▁the ▁to b acco ▁industry ▁would ▁change ▁soci etal ▁att itudes ▁through ▁the ▁condu its ▁of ▁nic ot ine ▁advert ising ▁and ▁public ▁relations , ▁transform ing ▁to b acco ▁use ▁into ▁a ▁des irable ▁past ime ▁for ▁female ▁consumer ▁in ▁both ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁abroad . ▁ ▁Pre - 1 9 2 0 s ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁sm oking ▁was ▁largely ▁a ▁male ▁past ime ▁and ▁was ▁thought ▁of ▁as ▁a ▁tab oo ▁act ▁for ▁women ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁sm oking ▁and ▁c igare tt es ▁were ▁commonly ▁associated ▁with ▁loose ▁mor als ▁and ▁sexual ▁prom is cu ity . ▁A ▁common ▁prop ▁in ▁Victor ian ▁er otic ▁por n ography , ▁c igare tt es ▁even ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁thought ▁of ▁as ▁an ▁occup ational ▁prop ▁of ▁prost it utes ▁and ▁sex ▁workers . ▁Even ▁into ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁women ▁faced ▁possible ▁arrest ▁if ▁they ▁were ▁caught ▁sm oking ▁in ▁public . ▁▁ 1 9 2 0 – 1 9 6 8 ▁During ▁the ▁first ▁de cade ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁women ▁would