A campaign to make adults think twice before smoking in front of children is being launched in the region.

Tyne and Wear Health Action Zone will unveil the campaign on February 1.

Using the slogan, Stub It Out - There's a Kid About campaign, the healthy living drive highlights the potential damage that cigarette smoke can cause to developing lungs.

Meanwhile, the continuing battle to persuade smokers to quit appears to be making headway on Tyneside and Wearside.

According to the latest figures, more than one in three smokers who have tried to quit as part of an organised campaign have been successful.

For the last reported quarter, 632 out of 1,621 smokers who attempted to stop in Tyne and Wear, managed to give up.

Most of them got help from GP surgeries, hospitals and smoking cessation teams.

Iain Miller, smoking cessation advisor for Newcastle and North Tyneside, said: "We were really encouraged by the increased take up of services."

In the New Year, up to six weeks' free nicotine replacement therapy will be offered to smokers who qualify for help