A cocktail of cyanide and arsenic: New graphic images show the damage to the body caused by smoking

These gruesome images show the effects smoking has on the body.

They show how toxins, including arsenic and cyanide, circulate around the body from the lungs to the heart and then the brain.

They are part of a new stop-smoking campaign launched by Public Health England to highlight the damage done to smokers' bodies.

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Public Health England has launched a new stop-smoking film. It shows how smoke enters the lungs (pictured) where it causes serious damage

The Smokefree Health Harms campaign points out that inhaling dangerous chemicals in cigarettes damages major organs and increases the risk of stroke and dementia. 

The chemicals move through the heart, the lungs and into the bloodstream, finally damaging cells in the brain.

The campaign film informs viewers: ‘Every time you smoke, blood that's thick and dirty with toxins circulates through your body in seconds increasing your chances of a heart attack or stroke. If you could see the damage, you'd stop.’

 

The film shows a man standing outside smoking. It then illustrates how the smoke he inhales enters his lungs before passing through his blood vessels into his heart and finally his brain.

As the film pans through the body, it shows the organs being rapidly damaged.

England's chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, said: ‘We know about the serious effect smoking has on the heart and lungs but smokers need to be aware of how much potential damage is being done to the brain and other vital organs through toxins in cigarettes entering the blood. 

Horror of blood clots from smoking focus of new campaign

The film then shows how the blood moves from the lungs through the blood vessels (pictured) to the heart

‘Smoking is the major cause of premature death, with one in two smokers dying prematurely from smoking-related diseases, and it is extremely worrying that people still underestimate the health harms associated with it.

‘However, it is not all doom and gloom for smokers looking to quit this New Year. Within five years of stopping smoking, your risk of stroke can be reduced to the same as a lifetime non-smoker.’

Professor Kevin Fenton, director of health and well-being for Public Health England, said: ‘More than eight million people smoke in England. 

The film shows how the 'dirty' blood, which is filled with toxins, passes into the heart (pictured) from where it is then pumped to the brain

In the brain, the toxins are transported through small blood vessels until they penetrate all areas, increasing the risk of dementia and strokes

‘With half of long-term smokers dying prematurely from a smoking-related disease, highlighting the unseen damaging effect smoking has on the body's major organs provides a real motivation for people to stop.’

Joe Korner, director of external affairs at Stroke Association, said: ‘Stroke is a major cause of death and adult disability in the UK and you are twice as likely to have a stroke if you smoke. 

'The more you smoke, the more your risk increases.’

The campaign film informs viewers: 'Every time you smoke, blood that's thick and dirty with toxins circulates through your body in seconds increasing your chances of a heart attack or stroke. If you could see the damage, you'd stop.' Image shows toxins passing into the brain

Dr Gareth Hagger-Johnson, research associate at University College London (UCL), said: ‘Accelerated decline in cognitive reasoning and memory is more advanced in smokers, with one of our studies at UCL showing it to be nearly 38 per cent faster in persistent male smokers compared to non-smokers.

‘The decline in the brain's cognitive powers is naturally seen with ageing.

'However, there are a number of identifiable risk factors, including smoking and heavy alcohol consumption, which can be associated with an accelerated rate of decline.’