Aussie anti-smoking success

An Australian national anti-smoking campaign has prompted nearly 200,000 people to kick the habit and should prevent about 55,000 deaths.

The 'Every cigarette is doing you damage' campaign, which started 11 years ago and cost around A$9 million, is expected to save more than A$740 million in health care costs.

Professor Susan Hurley, the author of a report on it in Tobacco Control, said the first six months of the campaign in 1997 was the most effective. The campaign ran nationally until July 2000 and again in 2004.