Men and women have traditionally consumed cigarettes very differently, demonstrating widely varying patterns of prevalence during the past eight decades. For example, though the prevalance of smoking among men increased dramatically soon after the turn of the century, an analogous though less dramatic increase among women was not observed for another 25-30 years. Similarly, when a dramatic decrease in smoking prevalence among men was observed following the 1964 Surgeon General's Report, a comparable decrease among women was not seen until 15 years later. Such differences in smoking patterns have led to the widespread belief that giving up smoking is more difficult for women than it is for men. This paper reviews various studies which address this issue and suggests areas in which further research is needed.