Adil Rashid and the local NHS stop smoking team visited City Taxis to launch the Over & Out Knock Smoking For Six campaign, run by Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust (tPCT). To encourage Asian men to hit cigarettes for six and get fit, Rashid and the stop smoking team visited taxi ranks across the city centre throughout the day, delivering healthy snacks and advice on the importance of leading a smoke-free lifestyle.

The Over & Out Knock campaign will also include a series of cricket road shows with Rashid that will be rolled out across the city over the summer months.

Madge Boyle, public health manager at the PCT, said: "In Bradford and Airedale, 29 per cent of adults smoke and research shows that over two- thirds of them want to stop. We'd like to invite smokers to join our campaign and hit cigs for six.

"People are more likely to succeed in quitting by getting professional help from the local NHS stop smoking service than relying on willpower alone.

"There's never been more ways to get rid of cigarettes – the stop smoking service offers free group and one-to-one support sessions in a range of community venues across the district.

"To keep people motivatedto stop smoking and help them deal with cravings, nicotine replacement, eg: patches, gum and the new product
Champix, are available to help them quit.

"People can call the stop smoking service on 01274 363559 or contact their GP surgery to find out about practice-based support."