An image from the NHS national campaign

Donna Lazenby, now unhooked

Getting unhooked

National No Smoking Day on March 14 will be an excellent opportunity for Hull smokers to get some practice in giving up.
This year, from July 1, more than 8,000 public places in the city will become smoke free, including pubs, restaurants and workplaces.
Hull has one of the highest smoking rates in the country, with 40 per cent of residents being regular smokers, compared to 26 per cent nationally.
And Hull City Council health and safety officers will be responsible for helping companies and organisations prepare for the ban, as well as making sure they stick to it after July. Last September, the council set the trend by being one of the first major employers in the city to ban smoking in all its premises.
Meanwhile, council officers have been working with the local NHS in helping smokers quit the habit.
Like mother-of-four Donna (35), from west Hull, who quit her 20-a-day habit with help from a support group after contacting Hull's NHS Stop Smoking Support Service (see number below).
"My kids had been nattering at me for ages to give up," she says. "The group was great. All six of us were in the same boat and we all helped each other. I wouldn't dream of starting again now. I'm healthier and I've got more money in my purse too."
For more information, call the Hull Stop Smoking Support Service free on 0800 9155959 or visit www.smokefreeengland.co.uk *
Advice about quitting can also be obtained from a public information vehicle which will be parked in Queen Victoria Square on No Smoking Day, March 14.