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Thousands of County Durham smokers are being urged to quit this Stoptober, with campaigners pointing to more free support than ever.
Public health teams say residents have more advice, tools and support than ever to quit for good.
Amanda Healy, director of public health at Durham County Council, said: "As soon as a person stops smoking, their health starts improving.
"From day one, they can breathe more easily, their blood pressure drops, their risk of heart disease falls and their sense of smell and taste improve.
"Quitting smoking also comes with huge financial savings.
"While the benefits of stopping smoking are immeasurable, we know quitting can feel intimidating or even impossible for many people.
"In County Durham, we offer personalised support through services including Smoke Free County Durham, so nobody has to quit alone.
"We encourage anyone considering Stoptober to find out what help is available on their journey to becoming smoke-free."
Stoptober challenges smokers to quit for 28 days.
Research shows smokers who stay smoke-free for four weeks are five times more likely to quit for good.
Around 46 per cent of North East smokers—about 169,000 people—tried to quit in 2025, the highest rate in the country.
Yet nearly half of smokers still try to quit using willpower alone.
Ailsa Rutter OBE, director of Fresh and Balance, said: "This September is a massive chance for thousands of people to turn their backs on smoking.
"It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve tried before—it is never too late to stop and gain benefits to your health and finances.
"Getting free and effective support helps you take the stress and cravings out of quitting and helps your quit go a lot further.
"Getting support isn’t cheating, it’s about giving yourself the best chance to keep you from smoking, week by week."
Smokers can get a wide range of free help to quit.
County Durham’s stop-smoking services offer free, personalised advice from trained staff who can create a quit plan and recommend suitable aids.
They also provide nicotine replacement therapy and medicines such as varenicline and cytisinicline.
The free Smoke Free app helps users create a quit plan, track progress and get support throughout their attempt.
Vaping remains the most popular quitting aid. It is less harmful than smoking but is not risk-free.
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Vaping helps people manage nicotine cravings without inhaling cigarette smoke.
Stop-smoking services can also provide free vape starter kits and advice on switching to vaping.
Quitting smoking brings substantial savings as well as health benefits.
People who quit smoking can save more than £2,000 a year.
Find local support at FreshQuit.co.uk.