A SMOKERS' support group was launched at a Darlington school yesterday, to help youngsters quit the habit.

Children as young as eight in the town are known to be trying cigarettes, with some teenagers becoming 20-a-day smokers by the age of 16.

Darlington Primary Care Trust and Longfield Comprehensive School launched the support group yesterday, on National No Smoking Day.

Longfield's healthy school co-ordinator, Melanie Stubbs, said: "The legal age may be 16, but we have found some children who have been smoking since they were eight.

"Obviously, smoking is not allowed in school, but rather than just disciplining them, we are recognising that they have a problem and we have decided to support them to help them kick the habit."

The help group will be run by the trust's school nurse, Karen Robinson.

"They will be able to drop into see me after school. I have already talked to one 16-year-old who said he smoked 20 a day," she said.

"A lot of children are dabbling and sharing a cigarette. If they get hooked as children, what chance will they have as adults?"

The Darlington trust also staged a stop smoking display in Boots, in Northgate.

* Free advice and products on prescription to help smokers quit is available from GPs or by contacting Darcy Brown on (01325) 744719.