The message is plain and simple - give up smoking.

Health workers are focusing their efforts on smokers from Bradford's South Asian community as part of national No Smoking Day tomorrow. And confidential help and advice is to be offered to South Asian community members in the district to coincide with the day.

The project, being introduced at the Council for Mosques Day Centre, in Great Horton Road, Bradford, and the Sangat Centre, Marlborough Street, Keighley, is for Urdu, Punjabi and English speakers.

Project worker Mohammed Idrees said: "Our aim is to give advice, support and information to Asian people free of charge. We have previously run a stop smoking campaign for Muslims through the month of Ramadan which was a huge success."

The Bradford service recently gained top marks in the Government's performance tables. Last year's figures showed it was one of the most successful services, with more than 500 people per 100,000 staying off tobacco after four weeks compared to just 32 in North Yorkshire.

Mr Idrees is confident that the service will be beneficial and will cut the number of smokers in the area.

"Asian people are becoming more and more aware of our services and the dangers that smoking presents," he said. "We are hoping for a good response to this latest campaign so that we will be able to provide a successful service to Asian people in the district."

After the advice sessions participants will be sent away with instructions not to smoke and will return a month later to see what progress has been made.

Research by the support service has found that other tobacco uses by the South Asian community such as paan chewing and smoking the hucca pipe can lead to serious health problems.

Janet Walton, Bradford's NHS Stop Smoking Service co-ordinator, said: "We are already seeing a very big increase in the number of Asian smokers who access the service and this is another opportunity for many to try to give up."

The service is available at the Council for Mosques Day Centre with Mr Idrees counselling men on Mondays from 1pm to 4pm and Asma Imtiaz advising women every Tuesday between 9.30am to 12.30pm.

The project workers are also available at the Sangat Centre on Tuesdays from 11am to 2pm and Wednesdays from 12.30pm to 3.30pm.

For further information telephone (01274) 363438.