Imams across the country yesterday focused their Friday sermons on the ill-effects of smoking and asked the devout to kick the dangerous habit. As the world, including Qatar, observes Anti-Tobacco Day tomorrow, the imams vowed they would do their bit to help smokers fight the self-destructive addiction. The imams reminded the devout that taking good care of one’s health and the environment was one of the basic teachings of Islam. “When you smoke you not only compromise your health, but also of those around you and they include your near and dear ones,” said an imam. The sermons came near the culmination of an anti-smoking drive Qatar’s Supreme Council of Health launched on May 9 in cooperation with the Anti-Smoking Society. A walkathon to highlight the evils of smoking has been organized at the Corniche tomorrow by the Supreme Health Council and Qatar’s Ant-Smoking Society. More than 1,000 people are expected to attend. A major highlight of the campaign has been that smokers willing to kick the habit are being provided practical help and being referred to the anti-smoking clinic at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). An official from Anti-Smoking Society of Indians here said every weekend they were referring on average 10 to 15 smokers to the clinic. Asked how many of these people were able to actually leave smoking for good, Amanullah Wadakkangara said the success rate was 80 percent. “More and more people are kicking the habit,” he added. He said he offered Friday prayers at Al Hilal mosque in Doha and the sermon there also focused on the evils of smoking. According to Amanullah, it was announced earlier that the imams in their sermons yesterday will focus on anti-smoking. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=May2009&file=Local_News2009053024856.xml

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