Religion rejects the use of tobacco in any form and although it is not explicitly written down in religious scriptures, as cigarettes and other forms of manufactured tobacco did not exist at the time of its writing, religious scholars say the holy texts prohibit its use.

"Even if it did not exist when the holy words were written, we can rightfully say that no religion encourages the use of tobacco in any form whatsoever. It is not explicitly prohibited in the scriptures, it is implied," a conference in Kuala Lumpur was told yesterday.

John Gurusamy, coordinator of the Malaysian Interfaith Network, said this at an anti-tobacco conference organised by the Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control and backed by the Ministry of Health.

Gurusamy added that the human body is "the temple of God" and therefore one should not consume such a harmful ingredient as tobacco.

He quoted versus in the Bible and Gita (Christian and Hindu scriptures respectively) and backed his claims that the human body should not be subjected to such adverse substances.

In his paper Religion and Tobacco Use - A holistic Approach the scholar said "a holistic approach (to life) implies the realisation that we are part and parcel of the Divine (and) that we are triune in composition - spirit, mind and body".

Therefore he encouraged one to respect and treat the body with care and respect.

Praying helps relieve addiction

Gurusamy also encouraged those addicted to tobacco - via smoking or other forms - to resort to prayers, chants and singing 'meaningful songs' in a bid to enhance one's self-esteem. This would work towards kicking the habit, he submitted.

"People of faith and spirituality have proven that tobacco and drug addiction can be cured by enhancing self-esteem through singing of meaningful songs or bhajans (music for worship) or chanting God's name all the time," he told the over-200 conference participants.

Gurusamy encouraged parents and teachers to be role models to children in order to discourage youth from picking up the habit. He also condemned the subsidising of tobacco farmers and called on them to be given a time-frame to convert to other crops.

Malaysia has over 30,000 tobacco growers and the government has promised to take steps to ensure that these farmers will cease its tobacco plantations. However, many have been sceptical of the promise.

"All parties; the government, the corporate sector and interfaith leaders, must work together in consultation with tobacco users to help them overcome their addiction for the benefit of all concerned," added Gurusamy

The three-day conference themed Towards a Smoke-Free Malaysia is a prelude to the upcoming launch by the Malaysian government of the World No Tobacco Day on May 31.

Statistics reveal that 10,000 Malaysians die yearly from the effects of tobacco abuse.