Health chiefs are using the approach of the Muslim festival of Ramadan to help smokers in London’s East End kick the habit.
A campaign has been started by NHS Tower Hamlets to “make Ramadan a good time to stop.”
It has been launched in time for the month-long festival which starts on August 22 when Muslims have to ditch their cigarettes as well as fast each day.
A similar campaign last year saw 1,000 sign up for the ‘Stop Smoking’ pledge, mostly members of Whitechapel’s East London Mosque.
Mohammad Shakir from the mosque explained: “If people are giving up for a month for religious reasons, it is a good way of getting them ready for the lifestyle and to stop smoking.”
Smoking-related diseases account for 22 per cent of all deaths in Tower Hamlets, compared to