Smokers put their health at risk every time they light a cigarette. According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, smoking can cause cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking causes about 20% of all cancers and about 30% of all cancer deaths in the United States. Smoking also accounts for as many as eight out of 10 COPD-related deaths. These troubling stats are why experts in the industry encourage smokers to quit. But because of genetic and environmental differences among people, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for stopping smoking. Instead, there are prescription medications smokers can take to lessen their cravings and help with nicotine withdrawal. Risner says there are also more therapeutic ways to try to quit, such as support groups and therapy. Fenick finally quit tobacco for good in 2020 after she was diagnosed with a blood clot in her leg; doctors said part of the reason the clot developed was her excessive smoking. She encourages other smokers not to wait until a health issue arises and to stop the deadly habit once and for all. "I wish I would have never picked up a cigarette ever," Fenick said. "And that's why I tell my daughter, who's now 15, don't even try it. It'll be the worst mistake of your life." Resources American Cancer Society Smokefree.gov American Lung Association