NEARLY twice as many smokers in the region are quitting compared to people in London, according to statistics.

The figures, released by the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre, put the North-East in front when it comes to giving up.

The best figures in the region have been achieved by Stop Smoking services run in County Durham and the Tees Valley.

From April 2004 to March last year, County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority had 1,212 quitters out of 21,195 people that set a date to stop.

Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Health Authority took second place after it helped 994 out of 23,047 people successfully stop smoking after setting a quit date.

Taken together, the North-East had 1,092 successful quitters per 100,000 of the population aged 16 and over, higher than the next best region, the North-West, which had 949 per 100,000. The worst performer was in London, which had 612.

Within the strategic health authority covering North Yorkshire, 666 per 100,000 of the population gave up smoking.

Ailsa Rutter, director of the Fresh Campaign for a Smoke-Free North East said: "As a region, we should be extremely proud of this success to date, particularly as we have a relatively small population and therefore proportionally smaller resources, so this is testament to the hard work that our local stop smoking services put in every year.

"The focus now is building upon this in 2006, for the North-East still has some of the highest rates of smoking in the UK and, in turn, some of the highest rates of related diseases such as cancer, stroke and heart disease.

"The good news is that there are a number of ways to beat the craving.

"Nicotine replacement therapy, as well as a range of other quitting techniques, are available, from hospitals and health centres to surgeries and drop-in clinics.

"Where there is the will, we can definitely find a way to suit the individual."

For local NHS stop smoking services, call 0800 169 0169 or text Give Up with your postcode to 88088.

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