WITH less than one month to go before England goes smoke-free, another 711 smokers have successfully ditched the habit in York and Selby.

Patricia Hodgson, regional tobacco policy manager in Yorkshire, said: "The smoke-free legislation is just a month away and there is help available for those smokers thinking about stopping.

"Local Stop Smoking Services can offer group support or one to one and can help quitters get patches, gum or other stop smoking aids on prescription."

The latest NHS figures, for April to December 2006, show 711 people in York and Selby stopped smoking within four weeks - a success rate of 50 per cent. Another 1,408 set themselves quit dates.

Across North and East Yorkshire as a whole, 5,861 people quit within a month, a success rate of 55 per cent, with 10,609 pledging to stop at a certain date.

Andrew Clark, director of public health for North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust, said: "There's only four weeks left before this new legislation comes into force.

"It's a hugely influential and important piece of public health law because it'll help to protect so many people from the affects of breathing in second-hand smoke as well as helping to encourage smokers to think about giving up.

"The smoke-free legislation will benefit the whole community here in North Yorkshire.

"We expect to see more and more smokers quitting the habit once the ban is in place and the local NHS runs a range of support services to help those who want to give up for good. You can call the North Yorkshire Stop Smoking Service on 0845 877 0025 or speak to your GP surgery or local pharmacy for advice."

Alternatively, phone the NHS Smoking Helpline on 0800 1690 169 or visit www.gosmokefree.co.uk now.

As reported in The Press yesterday, one of the unexpected side-effects of the legislation will be pubs and clubs that smell of something other than smoke. Two York clubs, bmp and Nexus, are trialling various different smells to be pumped into the venues to mask "the smells associated with drinking and dancing" - including lemon meringue pie and freshly-baked bread.