BALTIMORE -- A newly released national survey found that once girls start smoking, they find it much harder to quit.

The survey was released by the American Legacy Foundation, a Washington-based organization that tries to help people kick the smoking habit.

GIRLS & SMOKING Study: More Girls Smoking, Not Quitting More On The Report

But the data is not good news for girls.

There are more than 4.5 million young female smokers in the United States, and research shows their numbers are growing -- especially among younger girls.

When asked how old she was when she first started smoking, Amber Vitocolonna said "about 15 or 14." And when asked why she started, she said: "Because everybody was doing it."

The study found that girls ages 12 to 19 are more likely than boys to attempt to quit smoking, but they're having a hard time kicking the habit. Of those surveyed, 83 percent of 16- and 24-year-olds think they can quit smoking at any time, while 60 percent try to quit. But only 3 percent succeed in quitting, according to the study.

Bridget Mitchell, 19, of Baltimore County is among the small number of girls who have been successful in calling it quits.

"One day, I woke up and I was actually spitting up blood and I decided this is not for me, it's gonna kill me if I continue doing it. So I stopped," Mitchell said.

The rising number of female smokers concern parents. School administrators say smoking hasn't lost its popularity on campus -- especially in bathrooms.

"Fortunately, our kids, they kind of respect us a little bit. They don't do it blatantly in front of us. They don't do it out here, they'll go across the street and smoke," said Kevin Harrahan, principal at a Baltimore-area school.

Students caught smoking are often warned and then suspended. In some cases, they're forced to take a mandatory class to help them stop.

American Legacy is receiving support from the private sector to help young women kick the habit.