SO you are one of the seven out of 10 smokers who want to kick their habit.

While many smokers like to think they could quit whenever they wanted to, the reality is that both nicotine and the habit of smoking itself are so addictive that few succeed without help.

With smoking killing more people in the UK each year than Aids, alcohol and drug abuse, car crashes, murder, suicide and fire combined, the Government has made tackling the problem a health priority.

It is pouring £41 billion a year into projects aimed at helping smokers to give up.

Each primary care trust has a Stop Smoking Service.

Bournemouth and Poole PCT's has helped 6,000 people quit successfully since 2000, while Dorset PCT's has helped 2,000.

Research shows that smokers are four times more likely to succeed in giving up smoking if they use a support service and medication such as nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gum, lozenges) or the drug Zyban.

They can go private, but NHS stop smoking services are free and can provide medication on NHS prescription.

Support can be on a one-to-one basis through appointments, through drop-in or group sessions, held in various locations in the evening or during the day.

In Bournemouth and Poole, 85 per cent of sessions take place after 6pm. Groups consist of between 10 and 20 smokers, led by a cessation advisor, whose job is to guide and encourage the quitters through their course, which takes place over seven weekly 60-90 minute sessions.

The first meeting is an opportunity to find out more about ways to give up and the medication available. The following two weeks cover how individuals smoke and what triggers their smoking.

Based on this, the advisor draws up a plan to help people cope when they do give up.

In the third week, people set a quit date and go for it.

Seven out of 10 clients that set a quit date with the service eventually leave after having given up for four weeks.

After the end of their sessions, people are encouraged to keep in touch and can be given extra support if in danger of relapsing.

Dr Adrian Dawson, Director of Public Health for Bournemouth and Poole, said: "We have an excellent Stop Smoking team that can support workplaces to help their staff give up smoking.

"We are working with some workplaces now and are keen to work with more to help them implement the Smoke Free legislation."

To access Stop Smoking Services, email admin@dorset smokestop.co.uk or ring 01202 854437 for South and East Dorset or 0800 00 76653 for North Dorset.

The smoking ban and me

Veree Andrews

RETIRED Verree Andrews, 73, from Redlands in Weymouth, has been smoking for more than 50 years - and isn't about to stop now because of the ban.

She said: "I'm just too old to quit now. I've been pretty lucky but I think young people should really think about giving up because of health reasons.

"I think it's a good move to bring the ban in for the younger generation but it probably will end up affecting businesses.

"At the moment I go to the pub for a drink and a cigarette - in the future I might just go straight home instead."