Malcolm Chisholm: "Health of the nation"

Across Scotland, it is estimated that about 13,000 people die every year from illnesses directly linked to smoking.

It is thought that about 9,500 of them will have started smoking as teenagers.

The new 50-second commercial, called Club Smoking, shows how two teenagers are faced with the realities of smoking.

It sets out to encourage teenage smokers to give up, and to discourage non-smokers from starting in the first place.

Scotland's Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm welcomed the campaign as a positive step in dispelling the myth that smoking was "exciting or glamorous".

'Deadly product'

Hebs chairwoman Lesley Hinds said the board had built up a close relationship with teenagers in Scotland.

"By listening to what they have to say we have produced work which has grabbed their attention and won their respect," she said.

"Hebs mass media work has a great reputation, but also has a genuine resonance with teenagers.

"This particular advertisement will go some way to undo the work of tobacco companies who have attempted to link a deadly product with images of youth and beauty."

Mr Chisholm said it was important to highlight the serious health risks of smoking.

The aim is to help those who want to give up

"I welcome this new work from HEBS. It underlines the executive's determination to reduce levels of teenage smoking in Scotland," he said.

"The health of the nation will not improve as long as teenagers continue to take up smoking.

"This advert encourages them to think about their smoking and quit before it becomes more difficult to stop."

The advert is, in part, a response to the executive's 1999 White Paper on Health Towards a Healthier Scotland.