BOSTON -- One person dies every hour in Massachusetts from cigarettes, according to the Department of Public Health. In 2003, a memorable anti-smoking ad campaign produced by the state was launched to change those statistics. But budget cuts ended it. NewsCenter5's Liz Brunner reported Wednesday on the return of the program.

The ads are powerful, emotional and, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, they are effective at getting people to quit smoking.

"We have seen a decrease in the number of sales of tobacco to youth," said Dr. Lois Keithly, director of the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program.

The ads are the main theme of Massachusetts' first tobacco cessation campaign in six years, set to roll out Thursday. Similar ads ran back in 2003, until massive budget cuts by the Romney administration stopped them.

"Funding for protecting youth was greatly curtailed, the number of compliance checks were reduced, and we found that illegal sale rates to minors more than doubled," said Keithly.

But the campaign is back in business thanks to $4.5 million in funding approved by the Patrick administration.

"We are seeing new funds being added once again to this critical public health area where we know many lives are at stake," said John Auerbach, commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Life will never be the same for former smoker Ronaldo Martinez. He's just one person profiled in the ads, and a big activist in the fight against tobacco.

"What I would like to let them know is don't smoke. Quit," said Martinez.

Aside from the revised ads, the campaign will help increase awareness about resources available to smokers with hopes of getting as many people to quit as possible.

"We are trying to create the most effective campaign we can to try and reach as many smokers as we can," Keithly said.