The ads will appear in a long list of magazines, starting with November issues, that appeal to male and female smokers.

But to paraphrase a popular ad campaign aimed at female smokers, "You've come a long way, baby" - toward a shorter life.

"Our population is similar in makeup to the neighboring states, but we have the highest population of female smokers."

Male and female smokers lose an average of 13.2 and 14.5 years of life, respectively.

These are just a few of the research findings into what has emerged as an apparent gender gap between male and female smokers.

Despite the increase in knowledge of the health effects of smoking, many female smokers continue to smoke.

Also, female smokers have an earlier onset of menopause by approximately 1-4 years.

Since the mid-1990s, the number of female smokers has risen, among young women in particular.

Other factors contribute to the rise in female smokers.

In large cities like Tokyo, female smokers are increasingly visible.