Let’s Give Up Smoking During Holy Ramadan

• Professor Dr. ArupRatan Choudhury

If you are planning to give up smoking, this is the appropriate time for you. The holy Ramadan is a blessing for the Muslim community all over the world.  Its etiquette and culture restrict people from taking any kind of food, drinks, or smoking, for at least 16 hours. Ultimately smokers and tobacco users in a fasting mood, remain a long time away from smoking, which is systematically not possible other than the holy Ramadan days. It’s a matter of psychological motivation that if he can be away from smoking for the last 16 hours, then it’s not difficult to light up a cigarette for the rest of the hours.

Everybody knows about the harmful effects of smoking but ever then, the rate of smokers and tobacco users is not declining low as expected. Most commonly in developing and under-developed countries. That’s because, the mortality rate increasing, due to tobacco consumption. Normally cigarettes, churut, hukka, pipe, etc are the different forms of smoking, and jorda, gul, khoini and sadapata are the non-smoking tobacco. Research shows that in both cases of tobacco consumption, can create different organ damages of the body like lung cancer, heart disease, Brain Stroke.

The smoke of cigarettes smoking contains around 7000 harmful toxic products of which more than 70 chemicals are directly and indirectly responsible for developing cancer. Amongst them, the most dangerous chemical are Nicotine, Carbon monoxide, Hydrogen Cyanite, Benzopairin, Formaldehyde, Ammonia, and Polonium etc. Every year around 8.7 million people die of various diseases due to tobacco consumption and in Bangladesh 1 lack, 61 thousand people die according to Tobacco Altus 2018. So, the pandemic of Tobacco is no less than COVID-19 situation. Besides, by smoking not only a smoker is putting his life in danger, but people around him are also the victims of second-hand smoking.

Tobacco consumption is the only reason for many deadly diseases and day by day we see the rapid aggravation of non-communicable diseases in the community. Study show, at present 67% of people die of non-contagious diseases which are held responsible for tobacco consumption. Tobacco affects the human lungs, throat, gullet, kidney, liver, colon, pancreas, bladder, and uterus and turns in different types of cancer like Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Around 27% of cancer is held responsible for tobacco consumption. Again, it is responsible for about 90% of lung cancer. So, if we give up smoking or tobacco, we are safe from the dangerous grip of cancer.

Many smokers want to quit smoking due to its hazardous consequences but failed due to a lack of government quit line programs or helping institutions. Again, it is found that after a certain time, a smoker again starts smoking. In fact, the most important part of giving up smoking is strong willpower. The holy Ramadan brings this opportunity systematically, logistically, lawfully, and scientifically. Already I have mentioned that on fasting a man has to be away from eating for 15 to 16 hours. During this period he/she is not even allowed to drink a drop of water let alone smoke or chewing tobacco. So, if a smoker can perform a day’s Ramadan, he/she can spend the rest of the day too without smoking. It’s all about strong determination. Besides, in all religions, it talks about human welfare. A smoker doesn’t have any right to kill non-smoker as in second hand smoking. So, as human being, it’s our minimum responsibility not to harm others. Since Bangladesh one of the top most ten tobacco-consumption as countries and directly or indirectly a big number of people of our country are the stake solders, we have to be socially aware about the issue.

In Bangladesh, 35.3% (3 Corer, 78 Lakh) adults are tobacco consumers (Ref. GATS-Global Adult Tobacco Servey’2017). Among them 18% (1 Corer, 92 Lakh) are smokers. Very, unfortunately, this big community is badly affecting the non-smoker communities i.e. working place 42.7%, public transport 44%, in restaurant 49.7 % people are the victim of it, which can be mathematically around 8 corers including house, roads & transports, public places. Every year about 61 thousand children are suffering from various diseases due to being affected by secondhand smoking, and not only that every year about 12 lakh people die all over the world because of it. (Ref. WHO) Moreover, secondhand smoking increases 25% to 30% chance of heart disease and 20% to 30% risk of cancer for non-smokers. Besides, sudden Infant Death Syndrome for children is only because of it.

We must remember that we live in a healthy civilized society, here we always have to consider others’ likings and dislikings. In this holy month of Ramadan, a smoker or tobacco consumer keeps himself and people around him safe from the passive consequences. Besides govt has Tobacco Control Law. And according to the smoking in a public place is a punishable offense. As civilized citizens, it is our secret responsibility to abide by state policies and to perform our responsibilities. So, if we can spend a long time without tobacco, then why not the whole day, not the whole month, not the whole year? Make your promise today, use this holly and blissful month to get rid of tobacco. You can take help from psychologists.

If you are succeed to give up tobacco, then your friends & families will be benefitted by

1. They will get fresh oxygen.
2. Social relation and bonding will be more effective.
3. If you don’t smoke, your children will not smoke since they are repetitive.
4. Smokers and people surrounding him are always under threat of many systemic disease like cancer & heart disease.

Willpower is very important in giving up smoking. You may follow the following steps_

1. First decide why you give up smoking. Be determined and seek strong logic behind the decision.
2. Prepare your mind to work sincerely positive with plan and logic.
3. As per the plan, stop smoking in a definite day as you promises.
4. If you fell craving for tobacco cessation, make yourself busy with other activities.
5. During the holy Ramadan, smokers get strong cravings after iftar so keep yourself busy with other activities. Divert your mind like singing, talking to a friend, gardening, reading books etc.
6. Lessons we learnt during holly Ramadan, we should practice and Keep determination strong and active.

You will win. So, don’t delay & waste your time. Start today, right now.

 

Professor Dr. ArupRatan Choudhury: Heroic Freedom Fighter, Recipient of National Award – EKUSHE PODOK, Visiting Professor, Dental Surgery Department, BIRDEM General Hospital, Co-coordinator, Ibrahim Medical College Dental Unit, Founder President, MANAS (Association for the Prevention of Drug Abuse) Member-National Drug, Control Advisory Board & National Tobacco Control Task Force Bangladesh.