Fresh was the UK's first dedicated regional programme set up in the North East in 2005 to tackle the worst rates of smoking related illness and death in England.
Smoking is our biggest avoidable killer - more than alcohol, accidents, suicide, illegal drugs and diabetes combined and a massive drain on the NHS and economy. The source of this is the tobacco industry which sells and promotes an addictive product.
Fresh works with the regional media to ensure that the benefits of quitting, the harm of smoking, and tobacco issues are kept in the public eye all year round.
If you are a professional in the North East working in the field of tobacco prevention please join our Tobacco Control Alliances section on the Knowledge Hub
If you are interested in work around illegal tobacco visit
Fresh and Public Health England (PHE) are highlighting the debilitating nature of serious lung diseases for which smoking is the biggest preventable risk factor in time for New Year quit attempts.
In the run up to what can be the most stressful time of the year at Christmas, Fresh is encouraging smokers to quit to help stay calmer – with smoking increasing the risk of anxiety and depression and draining family finances.
Public Health England has revealed that over 11,850 smokers across the North East signed up to take part in Stoptober, the country's 28-day mass quitting challenge.
Smokers in the North East are being given one more reason to quit as new laws come into force today which make it illegal for anyone to smoke in vehicles with children present.
We went out on the road to spread the word about Stoptober with support from all of our local authority and NHS partners, as well as from local young people.
Fresh has welcomed new figures which suggest the North East is down to its lowest ever recorded rate of smoking during pregnancy, despite still having the highest rate nationally.
Smokers are being urged to give quitting a go for the launch of Stoptober as new research finds people's chances of stopping soar if they quit with a partner or friend.