NUREMBERG, Germany Women smoke fewer cigarettes than men and are more likely to choose low nicotine brands, according to a survey of 8,000 smokers in Germany, reported by AFP.

Nearly 30 per cent of male smokers, but only 20 per cent of female smokers, consume more than a packet a day. Women are more likely than men to buy low tar or "light" brands.

The 40-59 age group are the heaviest smokers. Forty per cent of smokers under 30 describe themselves only as "occasional" smokers. But the majority of middle aged smokers call themselves "regular" smokers, according to the survey by the Opinion Research Institute, based in Nuremberg.