At least 1-in-3 U.S. smokers will die from the habit

ATLANTA, June 5 (UPI) -- At least 1-in-3 U.S. smokers will die from the habit, and for every person who dies, 20 live with a serious smoking-related illness, officials say.

Dr. Tim McAfee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said the idea behind the CDC's "Tips from Former Smokers" campaign is to show the public what doctors see every day.

"The campaign motivates people to quit by having real people tell their stories of how smoking caused them to lose -- at a relatively young age -- the ability to speak, to breathe normally, or just to live normal lives," McAfee said.

For example, Shane lives in Wisconsin and began smoking at age 18. At age 34, he was diagnosed with throat cancer and his larynx and upper esophagus were removed. Today, at age 44, he continues to battle cancer, McAfee said.

Or, 18-year-old Jamason lives in Kentucky. He was an infant when he was diagnosed with asthma. When people smoke around him, the secondhand smoke can trigger life-threatening asthma attacks, he said.

Learn more at cdc.gov/tips. Or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW to talk with a trained coach on how to make a plan to quit smoking, McAfee said.