Children used in British hard-hitting campaign to get parents to quit smoking

Children are being used in a drive launched Friday across England to encourage people to quit cigarette smoking.

The campaign has been launched by Public Health England (PHE) along with new figures showing that 45 people a day die in England from heart diseases caused by smoking.

It adds up to over 16,500 smoking-related deaths a year in England caused by cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes.

A new film from PHE shows children creating personal images and warnings about the damage smoking causes.

PHE says one of the biggest motivators for smokers to quit is their families. So they have released a new emotive short film featuring school children in Coventry creating their own heartfelt messages about the dangers of smoking.

The latest hard-hitting campaign from PHE coincides with the first year when all cigarettes sold in Britain will be in standard packs with all attractive branding removed.

The packs, which will be mandatory from May, feature graphic pictures and health warnings, several of which illustrate how smoking causes cardiovascular disease and death.

Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies said: "Smoking is the biggest cause of premature death in England, accounting for almost 78,000 deaths a year. For every death caused by smoking, approximately 20 smokers suffer from a smoking-related illness." Endit