A PLEA to smokers not to "turn your nippers into kippers" by breathing smoke over them has had a real impact, according to North-East health bosses.
The slogan began appearing on buses and radio adverts throughout the region three months ago.
The main aim of the campaign, backed by the the North-East Alliance Against Tobacco (Neat) was to raise awareness of the dangers passive smoking pose to young children, either when they are at home or in a public place.
Recent research suggests that two out of three families in the region now say they would now avoid taking their children to smoke-filled areas.
Every year 17,000 children are admitted to hospital because of problems linked to breathing in other people's smoke, according to the Royal College of Physicians.
Research involving 377 smokers and non-smokers who care for children showed the number of smokers who said they were more likely to consider stopping smoking as a result of the campaign rose from 12.5 per cent to 24.2 per cent.
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