THE latest anti-smoking campaign from the government was launched today.

Advertisements show smokers being dragged by fish hook and line to their usual smoking den.

The aim is to highlight the chemically addictive nature of cigarettes, rather than just smoking as a social `habit'. Government figures show the average smoker is hooked on more than 5,000 cigarettes a year, based on an average of 14 a day.

The `Hook' campaign, from January 1 to February 4, will be shown online, on TV and on billboards. The ads will not be shown during children's programmes due to their graphic nature.

Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said that the campaign was not about `having a go' at smokers, but it was about showing them that help is available.

She added: "We do know that these campaigns have a big effect on people contacting NHS services and wanting to quit." Figures show there are 1.6 million fewer smokers since 1998, with about 24 per cent of adults smoking, she added.

The campaign will cost about é7m, but that compares to about é1.7bn lion spent by the NHS each year on treating smoking-related diseases, she said. Tweet