Many female smokers will find it more difficult to quit their habit due to addiction and fear of weight gain. This puts them at a higher risk of developing long-term health problems. These health risks, however, start declining immediately after the last cigarette is smoked.

Ninety percent of all adult smokers begin smoking before age 18, but female smokers are starting their habit at an earlier age. "The average age for a young girl to start smoking now is 14," says Robert Mecklenburg, DDS, MPH, dental coordinator, Smoking and Tobacco Control Program of the National Cancer Institute. "This could explain why lung cancer is currently the leading cause of cancer for women, exceeding breast cancer."