The UK government is rolling out a new TV and radio ads campaign to highlight the ill-effects of second-hand smoking, particularly the "hidden dangers" which second-hand smoke spells for young children.

With the key focus of the government's new anti-smoking campaign being on the harm caused by invisible chemicals, the advertisements will draw attention to the fact that smoking by the back door or in a car with an open window is not a safe enough measure to keep smoking-related dangers at bay.

The anti-smoking campaign is apparently an upshot of the disquieting figures which the Royal College of Physicians has released to reveal that millions of UK children are exposed to second-hand smoke, which increases their risk of meningitis, cot death, and lung disease.

The hard-hitting campaign is backed by the findings of a survey which observed the harmful effects of second-hand smoke on 1,000 children - aged between 8 and 13 years - whose parents are smokers. It has been found that second-hand smoking leads to more than 300,000 doctors visits among children each year and 9,500 hospital visits, which amount to a £23.6 million annual NHS spending.

Noting that "not enough people realise the serious effect that second-hand smoke can have on the health of others, particularly children," Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said that the new anti-smoking campaign will not only increase awareness of dangers of second-hand smoke, but will also "encourage people to take action to protect others from second-hand smoke."