It is an unfortunate fact of Bradford life that the Asian communities tend to suffer more from heart disease than do most other communities. Partly that can be put down to a diet traditionally high in fats, something which is being addressed by dieticians and health campaigners.

However, a major contributory factor is undoubtedly the high incidence of smoking by Asian people, particularly men. Forty per cent of Bangladeshi men, 29 per cent of Pakistani men and 20 per cent of Indian men admit to being addicted to smoking, putting themselves at increased risk of heart disease, lung cancer and a range of other cancers which can be attributed to cigarettes. In addition, there are higher rates of tobacco chewing among the Asian communities, increasing the chances of contracting oral cancer.

A high-profile campaign during Ramadan saw a special bus touring the district's mosques to urge Muslim people to including cigarettes in their fast. Gratifyingly, that prompted an increase in the number of smokers from the South Asian community who were accessing stop-smoking services.

Wisely, it has now been decided to follow on with a campaign urging smokers to use the Islamic New Year tomorrow as an opportunity to shake off the habit, which harms the health not only of those who smoke but also of everyone around them, including their children.

A new year is a time for making a fresh start. And what fresher start can there be than packing in those cigarettes and facing the future with cleaner lungs and a healthier heart?