Stub it out this Ramadan Dhanusha Gokulan / 30 July 2013 The holy month of Ramadan might be the perfect time for smokers who wish to kick the habit for good, according to doctors and anti-smoking therapists. Shaswati Paul “Smokers can completely give up the habit during Ramadan. People who are fasting abstain from smoking for a stretch of 13-14 hours. With the help of counselling and medication, smokers can quit,” said Dr Ghada Sahmy, head of the smoking cessation centre at Al Ittihad Medical Clinic, Dubai. However, both chain and casual smokers believe that unless there is real determination to drop the habit, nothing can really stop the smoker from smoking. Dr M. Shakeel, Specialist Physician, MD Internal Medicine at Aster Medical Centre, Discovery Gardens, said: “Ramadan is the ideal time for smokers to quit. The problem is that a lot of patients quit during this time and they pick up the habit after Eid. It is recommended that smokers get into counselling a few weeks before Ramadan and quit completely after the season. They should not go back to smoking after Eid; that would just make all the efforts taken futile,” said Dr Shakeel. “Fasting as such has a very good impact on the overall functioning of the body. The boy fat and cholesterol level drops drastically. It helps control diabetes and controls the appetite. The tendency to overeat comes down. Smoking as such is an addiction, but if you have enough physical and mental determination, it is a habit that can be stopped completely, especially with adequate counselling and medication.” Doctors said that counselling plays the most important role for a smoker to quit. “Counselling helps a smoker overcome withdrawal symptoms,” added Dr Shakeel. “The number of people walking into our cessation clinics during and before Ramadan is slightly higher than usual. Apart from the spiritual influence, Ramadan also helps people cleanse their body and soul. Also, 29 days is a perfect time to quit, without relapsing into the old habit,” said Dr Sahmy. Public speaks Khaleej Times also took opinions of a few smokers and non-smokers on the issue. Of the respondents, the smokers who were fasting said that they would go back to smoking after Iftar. Others whose family members are chain smokers said that the number of cigarettes they consumed per day had reduced drastically. “My husband is a chain smoker. He smokes a pack a day and sometimes more. On certain days, he smokes more than a pack. During Ramadan, he smokes less because you cannot smoke in public places,” said Shaswati Paul, an Indian national and a housewife. Shashwati added: “I have two sons and they have not picked up the habit.” Another Indian national, Anuj Nagwan, 25, said: “I don’t intend to quit smoking. I smoke about five to six cigarettes a day. I have been smoking for five years and I enjoy the habit. Maybe eventually I might consider dropping the habit, but not for now. For me personally, I don’t think I would use Ramadan as an excuse to quit smoking. It makes no difference, if I want to quit, I will do it anyway.” For smoker and Egyptian national Taghreed Oraibi, 27, Ramadan is actually a very tough time to kick the habit. “Going cold turkey to quit the habit is tougher than quitting slowly. If people attempt quitting during Ramadan, they end up starting again after Eid and they would probably smoke more than their usual number of cigarettes,” said Oraibi. “I don’t intend to quit any time soon. I smoke about six to sevencigarettes a day. I am not a chain smoker. I would think about it if I were to get pregnant or something,” added Oraibi. Most respondents said that they picked up the habit due to peerpressure. “Most of the friends would smoke. After an initial phase of saying no, I ended up smoking as well. Now I have been smoking for 20 years. I don’t think I want to quit either. Again, I would not use Ramadan as an excuse to quit either,” said 41-year-old Indian national Anant Warshid. Terry Thomas, 33, said: “I think Ramadan is a wonderful time for people to attempt quitting. It is a month of abstinence and fasting helps purge both your body as well as your soul.” Twenty-four-year-old Nayana Tharoor, a marketing professional, said: “I am personally against people smoking because it is a harmful habit and it does nothing but cause a lot of pollution. It starts out as a fashion statement and eventually it becomes a habit. I know a lot of people who have used Ramadan as an excuse to quit and have continued later. I guess you need to really start hating the habit if you want to quit.” Sports trainer and smoker for seven years Shafeeq Mohammed said: “Switching brands is also an effective way to quit. When you start out, you start smoking to something strong. But if you want to quit, you can smoke the thin cigarettes with very little percentage of tar and nicotine. Eventually, you can phase it out and quit the habit all together. I have been clean for three months now, I feel fresher and my stamina has improved.” Quit shisha as well Doctors have also suggested that it is not only cigarettes that are causing all the harm, but smoking shisha is also equally dangerous. Therapists said that youngsters today have taken to the habit of smoking shisha after Iftar. The amount of smoke inhaled during a condensed extended period of time, making one shisha smoking session comparable to a cigarette smoker inhaling 100 or more cigarette puffs. The massive amount of smoke, which is more harmful because it is artificially flavoured, can negatively impact the person exposed in a number of ways. These include respiratory and non-respiratory effects, such as the damage of blood vessels, the increased risk of blood clots, and the reduced amount of oxygen carried through the blood cells. “Smoking, whether it is a cigarette or shisha, can affect physical performance and endurance, as it can increase the risk of coronary heart disease and chronic diseases like bronchitis, and cause damage to lungs,” said Dr Wael Abdulrahman Almahmeed, Chief of Cardiology at Shaikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi and former president of the Emirates Cardiac Society. “Although there is the misconception that shisha is not as harmful as a cigarette, it can be just as damaging, if not more.” Smoking cigarettes becomes a physical and psychological addiction, and shisha can have the same effect if it is done on a regular basis due to the nicotine. Symptoms such as anxiety, increased appetite, and sleep disturbances may arise when attempting to quit completely. It’s harmless to go out to the popular shisha tents from time to time, but try to prevent making it a daily habit. For the health of your heart, avoid smoking, keep exercising on a regular basis, and eat moderate portions to avoid shocking your system after a day with no food or water.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 10:29:19 +0000
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