Pakistan Ramadan Fights Smoking
ISLAMABAD — Shah Zareen, 45, has been smoking for most of his adult life.
But he is determined to emerge victorious from his painstaking battle against smoking during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
“I will begin my mission from this Ramadan,” Zareen, a juice shop owner, told IslamOnline.net.
During Ramadan, adult Muslims, save the sick and those traveling, abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex between dawn and sunset.
Zareen, who smokes from 25 to 30 cigarettes a day, has already chalked out his plan to quit smoking during Ramadan with the help of his eight-year-old daughter Rozina.
“Of course, there will be no smoking during the fasting time. But after that whenever I have an urge, my daughter will give me a glass of water, which will help me maintain my will-power,” he said.
“I don’t want to ruin my health any more.”
Zareen is inspired by one of his friends who managed to get rid of smoking during last Ramadan.
“His success story has propelled not only me, but a couple of other common friends to quit smoking.”
Smoking is embedded in the culture of Pakistan, where tobacco consumption is on the rise despite government and NGOs efforts.
According to a survey by the Health Ministry’s tobacco control department, some 40 percent of men and 8 percent of women in Pakistan are addicted to smoking.
A majority of them are chain smokers.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), over one million people die every year in Pakistan as a result of the use of tobacco in various forms.
Ramadan Spirit
Zareen admits that he has tried to quit smoking several times before, but with no success.
“But this time, Inshaallah, I will get rid of this habit with the blessing of Ramadan,” says an optimistic Zareen.
“My spirit is high, and I will be a different person after this Ramadan.”
Karim Hussein, Zareen’s friend who has succeeded in quitting smoking last year, also believes that there is no better time to achieve such difficult task than blessed Ramadan.
“I got the spirit that when I can stay away from food and sex just because of Allah’s command, then I can give up this habit too,” he told IOL.
“This kind of spirit, you cannot have at any other time of the year.”
Experts agree that Ramadan offers a golden opportunity for smokers to quit.
“Muslims avoid eating, drinking and having sex during fasting in line with religious commands, and by the sinew of their spirit,” notes Dr Javed A Khan, chairman of the alliance for tobacco control in Aga Khan Medical University Hospital.
“This spirit and will power can help you give up smoking forever.”
Copyright © 2009 Islamonline
