T4 presenter Will Best is encouraging young people to enter the Cut Films competition as part of the Deborah Hutton Campaign to reduce teenage smoking

Young people are being urged to make a short film as part of a campaign to stop teenagers smoking.

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With an estimated 340,000 children taking up smoking in England each year, it remains one of the biggest risks to the health of young people.

And though figures show there has been a decline in the number of school-aged children taking up the habit, there are enough who do to cause concern.

This week London24 and the newspapers under the Archant London umbrella launch a campaign to encourage young people to tackle this ever-present issue by entering a competition for the Deborah Hutton Campaign.

Deborah Hutton was a highly-acclaimed journalist who died from lung cancer aged 49 after smoking in her teenage years.

Since her death in 2009, campaigners – led by her husband Charlie Stebbings – have sought to stop young people picking up the habit.

The Cut Films competition asks young people to research smoking, make a short film about it for their friends, upload to a special website and share it on their social media.

The smoking population in London is put at 1.2 million people, and each year in the capital it is estimated smoking costs society £1.9 billion, including a £377m cost to the NHS.

Charity director Emma Wrafter said: “Two-thirds of smokers start smoking before the age of 18 and in England alone 150,000 young people aged 11-15 are regular smokers.

“We hope young people will take up the challenge of making a short film. We let young people do the research and make up their own mind.

“When we still have 100,000 people dying each year in the UK from smoking-related illnesses, talking to young people about the risks is vital.”

In 2004 Ms Hutton, who lived in Islington, was diagnosed with stage IV advanced lung cancer and died eight months later. She tried her first cigarette when she was 12, smoked regularly from 17 and gave up aged 24.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who has pledged his support for the competition, said: “We know schools have a vital role in protecting our children’s health.

“I hope the films will make young people think twice about picking up a cigarette and developing a habit that kills more Londoners than any other.”

T4 and Shipwrecked TV presenter Will Best, who is the face of the competition, said: “The project actually gives young people some credit, and asks for their voice and their views on smoking.

“And, most importantly, it gives young people the chance to do something genuinely creative to make a difference to their lives, and then celebrates that creativity.

“This isn’t about adults telling them what to do. It’s a short film competition in which young people do the research and make the films for their friends.”

The Cut Films national short film competition closes on Friday, April 20.

Voting for the films closes on Monday, April 30. Prizes include Kindles, iPods, festival tickets (Underage Festival) and much more.