Monday, November 14 2005 19:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Shahrukh Khan's pledge to quit smoking has come in for profuse praise from Union Minister for Health Anbumani Ramadoss who has sought the Bollywood star's cooperation in anti-smoking campaign.

Ramadoss, a known champion of the anti-tobacco cause, has written a letter to Khan telling him that 'such a public health pronouncement by a charismatic personality' like him would go a long way in weaning the youth away from tobacco.

In the letter, the minister noted that Khan's pledge on the eve of his 40th birthday recently, has come at a time when the Government is taking a series of measures to prevent the use of tobacco in general and the dangers of smoking in particular.

Ramadoss, who recently mooted the idea of banning on-screen, smoking, told the superstar that tobacco consumption continues to be a major preventable cause of death worldwide.

Every year, four million people die of tobacco related causes worldwide and in South-East Asia alone, the number of such deaths exceed five lakhs, that is one person dying every eight seconds, he said.