New clinics to help smokers kick the habit will be established in Barnet this autumn.

Giving up the weed is no mean feat ,, why else would millions of people do something so blatantly bad for them?

But Barnet Health Authority has pledged to make it easier, with a little help from the Government.

A scheme to train pharmacists, nurses and other health workers to encourage people to quit smoking was first piloted in the borough last year.

Now the plan is to get the programme up and running, taking advantage of the Government's offer of a free week's supply of nicotine patches and the availability of anti-smoking drug Zyban on prescription.

Health authority pharmacist Mike Beaman said: 'We need to have a starting place where people are assessed and either sent to the clinic or to their GP for Zyban on prescription and there will be a counselling structure in place. It will depend on the uptake as to how many clinics there are but they will be set up at pharmacies, surgeries and existing clinics.' Zyban, a form of anti-depressant that can change habitual behavioural patterns, is already in great demand among patients, in the same way Viagra and Prozac were when they appeared.

Mr Beaman says many problems need more than a chemical solution.

'Patients often see new treatments and want them but we aim to take a more personal view of treatment than simply handing out drugs. A GP consultation doesn't really give that much time, we want to make better use of nurses and pharmacists to give people more options,' he said.

Giving up tobacco ,, a case study

The NHS is putting money into helping people stop smoking. But what about other methods? JENI CONNIBEER tests out hypnosis

Brian Jacobs has just started up a hypnotherapy practice from his home in Totteridge.

A part-time tax advisor and full-time vegan, Brian was trained by Paul McKenna and Harley Street therapist Valerie Austin. In a bid to spread his hypnotic message he offered The Hendon Times Group a free session.

Brian claims he can cure smokers in just one hour without any resulting weight gain using a method which has a 95 per cent success rate.

He charges £250 a session but offers a free back up service if you do not stop straight away. Other practitioners of the Austin technique charge £125 a session.

The Austin method relies on 'persuading' the different elements of your subconscious that they don't really need to smoke and that they should do something else instead. Like have a cup of tea, go for a run or even climb Mount Everest.

It relies on the patient knowing a fair bit about his or her subconscious and the reasons why it wants to smoke. Otherwise, even if you are in a 'deep state of relaxation,' when Brian invites your subconscious to speak ,, you don't know what to say.

Hypnotherapy, like acupuncture, aromatherapy and herbal remedies, obviously works for some people. And it may be an infinitely more attractive prospect than replacing one drug with another. But it didn't work for me ,, and at £250 a session that's an expensive failure.