NGO sends kit to help Shah Rukh quit smoking

Bhubaneswar: An NGO Friday said it has sent a set of nicotine replacement therapy (NRTs) patches to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan to help him quit smoking.

HRIDAY (Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth) said it has also sent a factsheet on tobacco cessation after the actor, in a recent media interview, expressed his willingness to quit smoking.

'We have sent him a letter along with the patches and a factsheet,' the group's communications officer Nikunj Sharma told IANS.

Monika Arora, the senior director of the organization, in the letter sent Thursday said if Shah Rukh takes this step, it will help convey the right health message to millions of his fans in India and world over, especially the youth.

'His decision to quit smoking will set an example that smoking is hazardous for health and that quitting is possible no matter how long you have been smoking, said Amit Yadav of the NGO.

'Shah Rukh is a versatile actor and we are hopeful that this time he would succeed in his effort to quit smoking and thus motivate others.'

'We hope that he also inspires the film fraternity to refrain from showing tobacco use in films which has an adverse impact on youth and prove to be a 'real hero' for all his fans,' Yadav added.