Muslims Urged to Quit Smoking During Ramadan

Muslims Urged to Quit Smoking During Ramadan
Propose to and Support Muslim Friends, Suggests ASH

"Smokers who fast during Ramadan already refrain from food, drinks and cigarettes from dawn to dusk - quit during the night and quit for life,” suggests Dr Javaid A. Khan, Chair, National Alliance for Tobacco Control (NATC) and Head, Section of Pulmonary Diseases, Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Pakistan. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), America's first antismoking organization, is helping to spread the word both here and abroad.

Indeed, Dr. Khan and NATC are just one example of many authorities and health organizations which are urging Muslims in their own countries and around the world to take advantage of the coming Ramadan holiday to go beyond giving up smoking during the day, and to take the logical next step of continuing the practice into the night, and then for a lifetime.

According to Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) Ramadan 1431 in North America, begins on the evening of Tuesday, August 10, 2010, so that the first day of fasting would be Wednesday, August 11, 2010, only one week from today. http://www.holidays.net/ramadan/

Smoking has reportedly been declared Haram (prohibited or forbidden) by fatwas in over 70 Muslim countries [http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2010/7/25/h ...], and many others have strongly urged Muslims to quit in the name of their religion.

For example, Engineer Naveed Ahmed, a religious scholar from the Quran Academy, Karachi, says that "smoking did not exist at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) but the general principles of Islam, according to Muslim scholars all over the world, strictly prohibit it.” He emphasized that one of the important benefits of fasting is the sense of discipline that it instills in a person which can help in breaking bad habits, especially smoking.

Understanding what tobacco dependence is all about can help a smoker change his or her habits. This is especially true for smoking, as the nicotine in tobacco has a direct influence on the body chemicals that affect emotions and behavior. “Before Ramadan, work out the best way to quit and how to cope with the withdrawal symptoms,” said Dr Javaid, “as this is the month when you have the environment to quit smoking. Most smokers reach for a cigarette after breaking their fast. Some do so within a few minutes of eating or drinking. What will you do to avoid this?”

Also, in many places, smoking is being banned in locations where Ramadan is being observed. http://dubai.metblogs.com/2010/07/27/ramadan-restriction/

ASH suggests that nonsmokers, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, reach out to the Muslim friends, neighbors, co-workers, members of their clubs and social organizations, and to others who still smoke. Pass along the suggestion that they take advantage of the quitting that they will do during the day throughout Ramadan, and extend it through the night and then for a lifetime. Nonsmokers should offer and try to provide whatever moral and other support may be appropriate to help their Muslim colleagues become nonsmokers during this Ramadan holiday period, suggests ASH.

ASH, of course, does not provide any religious advice, but it does suggest that Muslims who are currently smokers seek advice and counsel from appropriate religious authorities or other leaders. They may even find that a local mosque already has materials and other help available to assist them to quit during this period.

Some studies have suggested that people often are more successful quitting if they can obtain additional strength and resolution from their religious beliefs, and if their church, synagogue, mosque or other place of religious observance provides support and encouragement.

For advice, tips, and encouragement about quitting smoking, and for links to additional information, see: http://ash.org/quitting

PROFESSOR JOHN F. BANZHAF III
Professor of Public Interest Law at GWU,
FAMRI Dr. William Cahan Distinguished Professor,
FELLOW, World Technology Network, and
Executive Director and Chief Counsel
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
America’s First Antismoking Organization
2013 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006, USA
(202) 659-4310 // (703) 527-8418
http://ash.org/

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), America's first anti-smoking and nonsmokers' rights organization, serves as the legal action arm of the anti-smoking community. It is supported by tax-deductible contributions.