The government is attempting to shock young people into giving up smoking through a major advertising campaign that tells them smoking can ruin their sex lives.

The Department of Health campaign, to run across TV, radio, press and poster sites, was unveiled today by the public health minister Caroline Flint.

It highlights the effect smoking can have on sexual performance, physical attractiveness and fertility.

"A key part of our drive to reduce overall smoking prevalence is getting the message to harder-to-reach adults," Ms Flint said at the launch screening of the ads.

"Seventy per cent of smokers want to stop smoking. However, with younger people, fears about attractiveness and fertility can be a stronger motivation to quit than fears about health. It is hoped that the hard-hitting message in this new campaign will make young people quit smoking for good."

The change in tack follows research that reveals awareness of the sexual implications of smoking remains low. For example, 88% of smokers do not realise smoking is a major cause of impotence.

Different ads have been tailored to appeal to men and to women. An ad aimed at men uses an image of a burning cigarette end held horizontally between two fingers as a visual metaphor for a penis. The copy asks smokers, "Does smoking make you hard?" then adds, "Not if it means you can't get it up".

The ads aimed at women are equally blunt in their portrayal of the effects smoking has on appearance and attractiveness to men.

One shows a smiling woman with yellow-brown teeth and shrunken gums. It uses the line, "minging teeth". Other ads use copy such as "cat's bum mouth" and "If you smoke, you stink".

The DoH campaign also uses other forms of marketing to get across the anti-smoking message to young people. They include online advertising and specially created microsites. Ads placed by urinals in pub toilets tell men, "Bad news. Smoking causes impotence. More bad news. These ads are in the ladies' too".

According to a recent survey by the NHS Smoking Helpline, nearly half of men associated smoking with wrinkles, bad skin, and less enjoyable kissing. One in two smokers said they would quit to improve their sex lives.

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