HEALTH campaigners are joining with The Northern Echo today to help smokers keep their New Year's vow to kick their deadly habit.

Hundreds of thousands of smokers across the North-East and North Yorkshire have already decided to stub out the cigarettes as one of their resolutions for the millennium.

And to help that record number of people aiming to quit, The Northern Echo will be providing timely tips on stopping, every day this month, as part of our Chance to Live campaign.

Last year the campaign helped to shape Government policy on heart bypass waiting times and this year we hope to extend that campaign by helping people to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Health experts, anti-smoking groups, and the Government are also launching campaigns to drive the message home.

The national campaign, urging "Don't give up on giving up", will cost £100m and will be backed by TV advertising and a new helpline for smokers.

The North-East has the worst record in the country for levels of smoking, despite 20 years of Government-backed campaigns, with almost one in three people in the region smoking.

In the region, about 9,000 people die of lung cancer every year and thousands more die of smoking-related illnesses such as heart disease and strokes.

Nationally, smoking causes 46,000 cancer deaths and 40,000 deaths from heart disease each year.

Alan Milburn, MP for Darlington, and Secretary of State for Health, said: "The Northern Echo's campaign to encourage people to give up smoking has my full backing and is something which deserves recognition.

"Too many people nationally, and in our region, are dying because of their addiction to smoking.

"We want to help these people to quit smoking and to give them the help and support they need to give up smoking for good." And Dr John Canning, who represents GPs in Teesside, said giving up for the Millennium was a great time to make a fresh start.

He said: "As a doctor, I deal with people wanting to quit day in and day out, asking for advice on how to give up or how to stay a non-smoker, and it is something we always try to help with and encourage. The Northern Echo's campaign to promote healthy living in the North-East is a great initiative, and with more smokers giving up than ever, let's hope it is a great success." The Chance to Live campaign, which was launched following the death of Northern Echo photographer Ian Weir while waiting for a triple heart bypass, has already been instrumental in cutting waiting times for people in need of heart bypass operations.

For confidential support and advice on giving up, ring Quitline on 0800 002200, or the new Government helpline, on 0800 1690169.