HEALTH officials are calling for parents to consider their children's health and stop smoking at home.

The smoke-free homes campaign, launched by Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust, aims to raise awareness of the dangers of tobacco smoke pollution on the health of children.

The campaign was launched at Catterick Racecourse yesterday.

Parents were invited to board a double-decker bus and then encouraged to sign up to an agreement restricting the rooms in the home where they smoked.

Kath Wise, the trust's smoke-free alliance co-ordinator, said: "Pre-school children are more at risk from the effects of smoking, as they spend much more time at home.

"But the campaign is not about telling people to stop smoking, although we can help and do support people who wish to quit.

"It is more about making people aware of how they can reduce the impact that smoking has on their children, by signing up to restrict smoking in their homes.

"Along with our health visitors, midwives and partners at SureStart in Colburn, we want to help to give local children the best start we can."

Parents signing up to say they would restrict smoking in their homes could agree to three levels of protection - gold, silver or bronze.

Anyone signing up for the gold promise, which will make their home a smoke-free zone, was entered into a free draw to win a £100 DIY voucher.

Children were invited to decorate smoke-free homes table mats that were then laminated.

Leaflets and a display board on the effects of tobacco smoke on children's health were on display.

The fire service also attended the launch to give information on free smoke alarms and warn of the risk of fire in households that smoke.

The trust's specialist smoking advisor, June Abraham, was also on hand to help smokers who want to quit.

The campaign is initially targeting parents and carers of pre-school children, but organisers hope to eventually reach all children in the area.