to stop smoking.

And some of the Island's prominent reformed smokers put their lung power behind World No Tobacco Day yesterday.

Health Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness, administrator at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital Mr. Hume Martin, Director of Human Resources Mrs. Eugenie Brown and administrator at St. Brendan's Hospital Mr. George Simons have all quit smoking.

They used their experiences to launch the non-smoking day in an attempt to cut related illnesses.

At a press conference at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, Mr. Edness, who smoked for more than 40 years, said it was important for medical professionals to give up.

"We need to focus on help givers and providers and ask them to be more conscious about their patients,'' he said. "If advice comes from doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and nutritionists, it will be taken seriously.

"If people stop smoking for 24 hours they may be successful in giving it up for a longer period and even forever.'' Mr. Edness said he started smoking seriously at the age of 16. He gave up two years ago.

"More and more I was conscious of the fact that I was not only hurting myself but also my family,'' he said. "The benefits are enormous. I feel better, my breathing is 100 percent better, my skin has more colour, and I am eating a little more.

"I also feel my thought process has improved. There were times I felt lethargic but when I stopped smoking that went away.'' Mr. Martin gave up in 1974 after smoking for 10 years. He pointed out that smoking in the hospital has been banned since January 1, 1992.

He said smoking was the cause of a great deal of illness in Bermuda so the hospital and the Ministry of Health had to remain vigilant in stopping smoking.

No Tobacco Day co-ordinator Mrs. Ivena Laurenceo asked non-smokers to get involved by adopting a smoker and helping them give up.

She said free, hour-long cessation courses would begin on Monday at 12.30 p.m.

at Colonial Insurance in Reid Street or at 5.30 p.m. at the hospital and run on Mondays and Thursdays in June and July.

CLEAN HAIR -- Miss Julie Kay Darrell, of Cable & Wireless in Hamilton, made her own personal protest against smoking yesterday.