STUDENTS at Somerset College, Taunton, are making a stand against the hundreds of deaths from smoking in the county on No Smoking Day, Wednesday, March 10.

A group of 820 – representing the number of people who died from smoking-related diseases in Somerset in 2008 - will gather in a field beside smaller groups representing road deaths and work-related accidents.

Dr Caroline Gamlin, director of public health for Somerset, said: “Smoking is the leading cause of preventable premature death in Somerset.

“Last year our stop smoking services helped almost 3,500 people quit and this year we want to do even better.”

Somerset College health and safety officer Jon Peters, said: “We hope this event will encourage those students who might smoke or be tempted to, to think about the risks and encourage them to adopt healthy lifestyles.”

David Stapleton, chairman of the Smokefree Somerset Alliance, said: “The death toll figures from smoking are surprising because we don’t normally see or hear media reports on smoking deaths compared to deaths on the road, which, although equally significant, are far fewer.

“If the 820 people taking part in the No Smoking Day event were smokers who continued for the rest of their lives, half would die from a smoking-related disease such as lung cancer or heart disease and a quarter would die before 65.”

To quit smoking, contact the Somerset NHS Stop Smoking Service on 0303-0339840, text MYQUIT to 80010, visit www.somersetstopsmoking.nhs.uk or call the NHS Free Smoking Helpline on 0800-0224332 or visit www.smokefree.nhs.uk