Shocking image of what smoking does to the body

The Cancer Society of Finland recently launched a website showing a terrifying vision of what smoking does to the human body.

The interactive site is part of an aggressive international public health strategy in which governments attempt to scare their citizens away from starting the unhealthy habit, and shock existing smokers into butting out for good.

The site features a large image of the human body, which users can scroll through to discover how each specific body part is affected by smoking. Scroll over the face, for example, and you'll be shown the difference between the skin of a smoker and a non-smoker.

The graphic also provides information on body parts less commonly known to be affected by smoking. Scroll over the belly and you'll see an internal stomach riddled with holes, which the graphic describes are peptic ulcers caused by a smoker's stomach's inability to fight a certain virus.

The Finnish campaign follows a growing contingent of nations that have tried similar hard-hitting anti-smoking advertisements.

In Canada, research shows that graphic warning labels on cigarette packs led to a decrease in smoking rates between 12 to 20 per cent between 2000 to 2009.

In Australia, a study from 2011 found that bold anti-smoking ads were most effective in getting people to kick the habit.

And a 2003 study involving young people in the U.S., Australia, and the U.K., found youth were most affected by anti-smoking ads that combined the physical affects of smoking with personal testimonials from people affected by smoking-related illnesses.