THE drive to stub out smoking is gathering pace in some of the most tobacco-addicted areas of the North-East.

However, Health Secretary John Reid's proposals to ban smoking in all licensed premises serving food is believed to carry more weight in the South of England.

Across north Durham, many licensed premises will continue to provide a safe retreat for smokers.

In the Derwentside area, a survey showed two in five pubs will be free to allow smoking, other than at the bar. But some licensed premises are introducing their own bans.

The recently opened Soccarena at Belmont, near Durham, a £2m indoor football centre, has opted to go smoke-free.

Soccarena chairman Stewart Dawson, said: "It's a sporting environment and we believe the people who use our facilities would probably prefer to enjoy a drink or two after a game of football in a no-smoking area."

The recently refurbished Intervals cafe-bar, which re-opened this week at the Durham's city council-run Gala Theatre complex, is another licensed venue opting for a smoke ban.

Marketing officer Amy Lynch said: "It has proved to be a popular decision with customers in the cafe-bar, who enjoy being able to relax in a smoke-free environment.

"The staff are also glad of the clean and healthy working conditions."

But these are small local havens bucking the trend in County Durham, where 34 per cent of deaths are from smoking-related diseases.

Councils and health authorities are funding a project worker to help push the smoke-free message across north Durham.

Funding for the post will come from local authorities and primary care trusts covering Chester-le-Street, Durham and Derwentside.

Dr Maggie Ireland, chairwoman of Smoke-Free Derwentside, said: "We do not want to stop people smoking or ban cigarettes. We respect smokers' rights, but we also feel that the rights of non-smokers to breathe clean, fresh air comes first."

Dr Ireland said long-term passive smoking could increase the risk of contracting heart disease by 30 per cent and cancer by 25 per cent.

Most at risk are bar staff and restaurant workers.

Dr Ireland said: "Smoking will still be allowed in pubs not providing food, and these tend to be in the poorest areas, with the highest smoking rates.

"They are exactly the places we need to reach."

She has visited Liverpool, set to go smoke-free within weeks, and Scotland, as well as speaking to US experts.

She said: "Publicans here are naturally suspicious and are worried about their business.

"But what they found in New York was that, since bars and restaurants went smoke-free, their takings have gone up by 8.7 per cent."

The initiative is planning a step-by-step process to woo landlords, starting with asking them to hold smoke-free nights on key dates.

Jean Beard, who runs the Durham and Derwentside Breathe Easy group, for people with breathing difficulties, said: "We have to check very carefully beforehand that we can be in a smoke-free room. Feeling certain nobody was going to be smoking round us would make life much easier."

Dr Ireland is aware that she faces an uphill struggle.

She said: "It will be more difficult here than, say, in some parts of the South- East.

"But Liverpool has similar smoking rates as the North-East. If Liverpool can do it, we can do it."

A competition has been set up in Derwentside asking children to design a logo to be given to all premises signing up to the scheme.

Entries, in age categories from four to 16, should be sent to Dr Ireland at Derwentside Primary Care Trust, Shotley Bridge Community Hospital, Consett, County Durham, by December 3.

Businesses or organisations who believe they qualify for the smoke-free logo are asked to call 0191-374 4109.