WYRE Forest smokers are being targeted by a new campaign to highlight how smoking causes a slow and steady decline to the body in a process similar to rotting.

Public Health England (PHE) launched the Health Harms campaign after research revealed that poisons in tobacco smoke break down the body’s key systems, damaging bones, muscles, brain, teeth and eyes.

The campaign is also aimed at tackling misconceptions about hand-rolled tobacco after figures show that half of smokers who only smoke roll-ups wrongly believe they are less harmful than manufactured cigarettes.

Digital and print billboards will feature a roll-up cigarette full of decaying tissue, while an online viral video will see a father casually rolling up a cigarette formed of rotting human flesh.

Dr Lola Abudu, public health consultant for PHE West Midlands, said: “It is encouraging that we are continuing to see a decrease in people smoking across the West Midlands, but almost 18 per cent of people across the region are still putting themselves at an increased risk of smoking-related health conditions.

“Most smokers know the damage cigarettes do to their heart and lungs, however they are much less aware of how harmful smoking is to other parts of the body, including bones, muscles, brain, teeth and eyes.

“There is no safe level of smoking, but we know that stopping smoking can be very challenging.”