THE government has issued an apology after a poster encouraging people to quit smoking sparked criticism from the Sikh community. The poster featured an image of a turbaned Sikh man alongside the message, "Make 2025 the year you quit smoking."
The image, sourced from a stock photo website, was uploaded to the NHS website as part of the Better Health campaign but has since been removed, the Sky News reported.
Sikh teachings explicitly forbid the use of tobacco, making the inclusion of the image particularly offensive to the community.
In an exclusive statement to Sky News, a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson admitted the image had been included "in error" and apologised "wholeheartedly for any offence caused." The spokesperson also assured the public that the image was never shared on DHSC channels and that new processes would be implemented to prevent such mistakes in the future.
Health secretary Wes Streeting called the poster "inappropriate" and "offensive" in a message to the Sikh Federation UK. He pledged to investigate how the error occurred and ensure measures are in place to avoid similar incidents.
Harwinder Singh of the Sikh Education Council acknowledged that while some Sikhs may smoke, the use of a turbaned Sikh in the campaign was problematic.
He said, "An association is made between smoking tobacco and the wider Sikh community specifically," and expressed hope that lessons would be learned from the mistake.
"By using the image of a turbaned Sikh in this poster from amongst the general population, an association is made between smoking tobacco and the wider Sikh community specifically," he was quoted as saying.
The poster’s design was commissioned by the DHSC rather than the NHS, despite featuring NHS branding.
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