CDC's Shocking New Quit Smoking Ads Include Child With Oxygen Mask, Double-Amputee, Heart Attack Scar [VIDEOS]

A new ad campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and prevention includes videos of former smokers who have suffered lasting damage from their habit: Brandon, a 31-year-old double-amputee from North Dakota; Roosevelt, a 51-year-old Virginia smoker who shows his scars after heart surgery from the heart attack he suffered when he was 45. There's also 28-year-old Jessica. Although she's not a smoker, her 7-year-old son's asthma led to an emergency room visit because of an attack brought on by second-hand smoke.

Although they may be tough to watch, the ads show real people living with real, painful consequences from smoking, said CDC Director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden. There is sound evidence that supports the use of these types of hard-hitting images and messages to encourage smokers to quit, to keep children from ever beginning to smoke, and to drastically reduce the harm caused by tobacco.

The ads, dubbed Tips from Former Smokers, will start running Monday. Here are videos of the former smokers: