The campaign, aimed to coincide with Tuesday's 'World No Tobacco Day', comes as it is revealed that only a quarter of people in NSW (27.9 per cent) are able to name two or more cancers caused by smoking.

Many people underestimate the harms of tobacco smoke, with the habit actually linked to at least 16 different types of cancer.

The issue is greater in regional NSW, with only one in five people able to name two or more cancers caused by smoking, compared with a third of those in Sydney.

Most people associate smoking with lung cancer, which accounts for 41 per cent of tobacco related deaths in Australia, however few are aware that a person dies every day in Australia from tobacco-related kidney cancer, from pancreatic cancer and from oesophageal cancer; or that a person dies every month from stomach cancer caused by their smoking.

"Although tobacco smoking in NSW continues to decline, it is still a leading cause of death and disease across the country," Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of the Cancer Institute NSW, Professor David Currow said.

"Tobacco smoke contains more than 7000 chemicals, of which at least 69 are known to cause cancer.

"Smoking does not just put you at risk of lung cancer - new research continues to show that tobacco remains the number one lifestyle choice contributing to burden of disease in Australia. It has devastating impacts on people's lives."

Cancer Council NSW Western Region's Marissa Clift is another to get behind 16 Cancers.

"Cancer Council NSW is supporting this confronting campaign; one which illustrates the devastating impact that we know smoking has on the daily lives of people and their families across Western NSW," she said.

"It's great to see a campaign like 16 Cancers raising awareness as we work to reduce the harmful effect of tobacco smoking, through programs such as Tackling Tobacco, in local communities across Western NSW."