A new hard-hitting campaign showing the emotional impact of smoking related diseases, was launched today by the British Public Health Minister Caroline Flint.

The emotionally charged campaign features a terminal lung cancer patient who has already chosen the plot where she will be buried. Forty three year old Trudi Endersby, along with her two daughters, Kia (11) and Kirsti (20) represent the thousands of families every year who are coming to terms with the devastating consequences of smoking. The campaign will run for six weeks in the UK across TV, radio and press.

This is being accompanied by new adverts featuring two quitters who successfully gave up using their local NHS Stop Smoking Services.

“Many smokers are aware of the danger smoking poses to their own health, but do not consider the knock-on effect for their families and friends. I am confident that the uncompromising message of this campaign will hit home with many smokers. We also need to ensure that people are aware of the most successful ways to give up. That’s why we’ve combined the campaign with adverts which promote the free help available through the NHS Stop Smoking Services. This support, when combined with Nicotine Replacement Therapy, offer smokers their best chance of success.”

Every year around 114,000 people in the UK are killed by smoking, it will kill one in two long-term smokers prematurely, half in middle age. Most will die from one of the three main illnesses associated with smoking: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD, includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema) Lung Cancer and Coronary Heart Disease. Stopping smoking is the best thing you can do to improve your respiratory health and help prevent these deadly diseases.

Trudi’s campaign will be coupled with adverts featuring two real-life ex-smokers, Danielle Rigby and Omar Farook, who gave up smoking with the help of their local NHS Stop Smoking Service. These complementary adverts highlight the benefits of quitting with your local NHS Stop Smoking Service, which include the provision of non-judgmental help and support from trained professionals and a tailored, step-by-step programme to help you give up for good.

To find out about the local NHS Stop Smoking Service nearest to you, phone the NHS Smoking Helpline free on 0800 169 0 169. Smokers who want to quit can also find details of their local NHS Stop Smoking Service by visiting http://www.givingupsmoking.co.uk, texting ‘GIVE UP’ and their full postcode to 88088 or ask at their local GP practice, pharmacy or hospital.

The NHS Smoking Helpline (0800 169 0 169) provides expert, free, and friendly advice to smokers and their families. The helpline is open between 7am and 11pm every day for information requests and referrals, with unlimited access to trained advisers giving one-to-one advice and support from 10am. Since its launch it has received over 1 million calls. A year after first calling the NHS Smoking Helpline, nearly a quarter of callers said they had successfully given up and were still not smoking.