WALTHAM Forest's health service is launching a new campaign to help people quit smoking during Ramadan.

Working with the Noor Ul Islam mosque in Leyton, NHS Waltham Forest will be using the Muslim holy month to encourage people to kick the habit.

NHS Waltham Forest chairman Cllr Afzal Akram said: “If you're fasting during Ramadan, you are not allowed to smoke either.

“Some people just puff away at the end of the day but some people stop entirely during Ramadan.”

However, he added that people often start smoking again as soon as Ramadan finishes.

The campaign, which includes a stall set up outside the mosque in Leyton High Road, is aimed at helping people to stop smoking after Ramadan.

Cllr Akram added: “We're trying to encourage people to come on to the various courses we have available to stop smoking.

“We can help them through nicotine patches and other means so that we can have more people staying off even after Ramadan finishes.”

The Stop Smoking Service in Waltham Forest has helped nearly 2,000 people to quit in the last year and won 'reward grant' of nearly £600,000 as a result.

A Government target of 1,800 people declared 'smoke free' was set and the trust exceeded this by nearly 100 smokers.

A total of 16 smokers have already requested more information about quitting after spotting the stall outside Noor Ul Islam.

Public health programme manager Stella Bailey added: “We worked with the local mosque at Ramadan because this is an at risk group in terms of not accessing the service through the usual routes, so it’s about bringing the service to the smokers, not waiting for them to come to us.

"One thing that came out of the sign ups outside the mosque was that the smokers would like to access support from the stop smoking service within the mosque itself.

"This is the first step in working closer with local mosques around accessing a range of services – smoking being the first."

Ramadan is a month-long period in the Islamic calendar during which Muslims observe a strict fast from dawn until sunset.

For information about support available in Waltham Forest, contact the Stop Smoking Service on 8430 7443, text 07919 544 683 or email stopsmoking.admin@wf-pct.nhs