USE RAMADAN TO STOP SMOKING - MUSLIMS URGED LONDON, NOV 10 (KUNA) -- MUSLIMS IN THE UK WERE FRIDAY URGED TO USE RAMADAN TO QUIT SMOKING AS IT EMERGED THAT MORE YOUNG ASIAN WOMEN THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT WERE RISKING THEIR HEALTH THROUGH SMOKING.
THE "QUIT" CALL WAS MADE AT TODAY'S LAUNCH OF THE CAMPAIGN "SMOKEFREE RAMADAN", HERE, BY THE LONDON REGIONAL FREE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE, ENCOURAGING MUSLIMS WHO SMOKE OR CHEW TOBACCO TO ABSTAIN IN THE ISLAMIC HOLY MONTH.
RAMADAN IS EXPECTED THIS YEAR TO BEGIN ON NOVEMBER 27.
FIGURES FROM THE "ASIAN QUITLINE", A CONFIDENTIAL TELEPHONE COUNSELLING SERVICE TO HELP PEOPLE TO STOP SMOKING, SHOW THAT 42 PERCENT OF ALL CALLS MADE BY WOMEN ARE MADE BY THOSE AGED 16-24.
BRITISH HEALTH OFFICIALS FEAR THAT SMOKING AND ITS CONSEQUENCES MAY BE A "HIDDEN PROBLEM" AMONG YOUNG ASIAN WOMEN, SAID DR. PENNY BEVAN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH FOR LONDON.
SHE ADDED "OFFICIAL STATISTICS PUT YOUNG ASIAN FEMALE SMOKING RATES AT AROUND ONE-TWO PERCENT, BUT THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THOSE STATISTICS ARE WIDE OF THE MARK AND THAT SMOKING RATES AMONG YOUNG ASIAN WOMEN MAY BE SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER-REPORTED".
MOSQUES AND COMMUNITY CENTRES THROUGHOUT LONDON HAVE GEARED UP WITH TRAINED COUNSELLORS TO HELP SMOKERS QUIT.
MEANWHILE, QAIM ZAIDI OF THE CHARITY THE BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION SAID "FATHERS AND GRANDFATHERS ARE DYING UNNECESSARILY EARLY BECAUSE THEY SMOKE".
"BANGLADESHIS UNDER 65 ARE TWO-AND-A-HALF TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE OF A STROKE THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION IN THE SAME AGE GROUP".
"TODAY'S FIGURES SUGGEST THAT MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS MAY BE EQUALLY AT RISK IN YEARS TO COME", ZAIDI ADDED.
THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 1.5 MILLION MUSLIMS LIVING IN THE UK, THE MAJORITY OF THEM FROM THE INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT. (END) HE.BS KUNA 101625 Nov 00NNNN