A clergyman has launched a stop smoking campaign by renaming cigarettes cancerettes.
Rev Charles Mugleston says he was inspired to act after witnessing the ‘devastation’ that lung cancer inflicted on a family in his parish.
He has started a petition on the No.10 Downing Street website which needs 100,000 signatures within a year for it to be debated in parliament.
Mr Mugleston, from The Well Chapel in Witnesham, Suffolk, said: “I recently took a burial service for a very fine man whose body was destroyed by lung cancer.
“I saw the devastation on his wife, children and friends who suffered much agony which could could be averted and I reflected on the situation.
“I came up with an idea which may help lessen the 100,000 people who die every year in this country because of tobacco inhalation leading to lung cancer.
“The idea is very simple, and hopefully will prove effective – to rename cigarettes cancerettes – in the hope that it will make people think twice before they light up.
“If we could get some of the larger charities interested in this it could attract more signatories – we have to start somewhere.”
To sign the e-petition http://petitions.direct.gov.
