As the tobacco industry is increasingly targeting females through its marketing campaigns, this seems to have increased smoking rates among women.

To combat this trend, the message of the WHO's World No Tobacco Day 2010 (May 31) will focus on tobacco use prevention and cessation among women.

The governments and organizations will be encouraged to increase awareness among women and girls of tobacco's dangers, to reduce the toll of heart attacks, cancers and other tobacco-related illnesses.

"The tobacco industry spends $185 million in our state each year to influence Mississippians to smoke”, said Roy Hart, Director, Office of Tobacco Control at the Mississippi State Department of Health."Mississippi women and girls are a major target of the tobacco industry, which must replace smokers who will die prematurely from tobacco-related diseases with new users”.

The facts though are seemingly scary, but there are opportunities for Mississippi's female tobacco users to win the war against their addictions. Those who get help are twice as likely to quit for good.

Mississippi women and others who want to quit using tobacco can contact the MSDH Tobacco Quitline at (800) QUIT NOW to receive free counseling and medications, such as the patch or gum.

With all of the resources available today to help, there has never been a better time to quit smoking. Make World No Tobacco Day 2010 the day you quit.