TODAY is No Smoking Day and hundreds of the region's nicotine addicts will be trying to quit.

This year, they will be joined by John Burton, Tony Blair's agent in his Sedgefield constituency, who has been a smoker since he was 16.

On New Year's Eve, Mr Burton, 63, made a resolution to cut down on his smoking, and eventually stop altogether.

He has managed to avoid lighting his pipe during the day, but from today he will give up completely.

"I am determined to succeed and it might help if The Northern Echo prints a story saying I am giving up," he said.

"Tony is very strict about it, I'm not allowed to light up at Number 10."

Dr Bill Kirkup, regional director of public health, demonstrated the scale of the problem when he revealed figures that show that every day smoking is responsible for 15 deaths in the North-East.

Health bosses in Sunderland are planning a day of events to launch a smoking cessation service in the region, which is aimed specifically at young people.

Kirk Green, youth and community smoking cessation advisor for Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust, said he was looking at phone texting as a way of getting the message across.

Meanwhile, an application from the region for £5m of European funds to help promote California-style restrictions on smoking in public places has been turned down.

But a spokesman from the Public Health Group North-East said: "This is a minor setback. It might slow us down, but the ultimate aim is to ban smoking in public places."

* John Burton would like people to show their support for him by making donations to Macmillan Cancer Care's County Durham appeal to improve support for patients and their families. For more information, ring 0191- 378 1188.