HEALTH chiefs in Bournemouth say they are struggling to meet tough government targets for people to quit smoking.

Bournemouth has the highest proportion of smokers in Dorset, with nearly a quarter of the population still lighting up.

And nearly a fifth of women carry on smoking while they are pregnant.

A dedicated SmokeStop team was set up by Bournemouth Teaching Primary Care Trust last autumn to help people kick the habit.

National targets mean the trust has just three years to get over 2,700 smokers to quit for at least four weeks, but chief executive Debbie Fleming said it's going to be hard to meet that goal.

"At the moment, the team is struggling and is not on course to achieve this target," she told members of the trust's board.

"It's not getting the number of referrals it needs. At best, it will make about two- thirds of the target."

She added: "This is an issue that needs attention as smoking is such a killer."

Meeting the national rate for people quitting smoking is important for the trust, as it is one of the key targets within the NHS star ratings system.

But in a report to the board, SmokeStop manager Julia Kilminster-Biggs said NHS smoking cessation services needed "huge increases in referral rates" to meet the requirements.

At the moment, most smokers in Bournemouth who want to give up are referred to the six-strong SmokeStop team through their GPs.

But the team wants the local hospital, maternity unit, dentists, pharmacists, workplaces, leisure centres and even pubs to help pass on potential ex-smokers.

It's also looking at developing ways of reaching people who may not be getting the message, such as manual workers, children and people with mental health problems or learning disabilities.

Debbie Fleming added: "There are pockets of deprivation in Bournemouth and that is going to make the issue more challenging."

Long-term support for smokers who manage to give up is also a key focus of the trust's strategy.

But trust board member Pam Orchard argued: "What we really need to do is to stop people smoking in the first place.

"Role models are very important. Youngsters are told it is wrong and then they see very respectable adults smoking. What sort of signal is that sending out?"

She called for smoking to be banned in public as soon as possible.

"While we still allow smoking in public places, people will still start smoking."