Doha, Qatar:The Holy Month of Ramadan is traditionally marked with spiritual enlightenment through abstaining from food and drink during daylight hours and a steadfast commitment to prayer. However, a recent study inQatar Medical Journal, published by HBKU Press’s online, open access platform, QScience.com, highlights the benefits of using Ramadan as a starting point to quitting smoking, toting higher success rates for smoking cessation when beginning during the Holy Month coupled with faith-based intervention and support.

According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (2013), in Qatar households currently 12.6% of the overall adult household population residing in Qatar (10.9% Qatari and 13.5% Non-Qatari) are using tobacco in any form (smoke or smokeless). Though it may be argued that the overall prevalence of smoking is low (and the prevalence of female smokers is extremely low), according to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (2013) smoking will be a major issue in the next 10 years, as currently among those who are 13-15 years, 15.7% have tried tobacco products (22.8% of boys, and 8.8% of girls) and of that percent, 12.3% currently smoke tobacco or some form of smokeless cigarette. 

The study published in Qatar Medical Journalby authors Suriani Ismail et. al. was a quasi-experimental study conducted during Ramadan 2015 whereby there was a planned intervention among smokers intended to increase the intention and the perceived behaviour control to stop smoking among Muslim smokers during Ramadan.

The outcomes of nicotine dependence were measured in the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence score and were based on saliva cotinine (the metabolite of nicotine) levels. Data were collected at baseline (5 days before Ramadan), during Ramadan (21st day of Ramadan) and post-Ramadan (21 days after Ramadan) of two test groups: an intervention group that received faith-based smoking cessation counselling and information and a control group that did not. 

During the Holy Month, where smokers were required by their faith to abstain from smoking during the fasting hours, smokers in the intervention group were given faith-based support, information and counselling as to reasons why to quit smoking forever. Coupled with the very unique environment that Ramadan provides, whereby the usual environmental influences that are perceived as barriers to cease smoking (such as pro-smoking living and working environments and smoking cultural norms), smoking can be overcome by default during this month as almost no one smokes in public during the day throughout this month.

The results showed, that while both the intervention group’s and the test group’s cotinine levels decreased significantly during Ramadan, after Ramadan only the intervention group’s cotinine levels were sustainably low indicating a lessened dependence on nicotine and the positive effect of using this culturally-competent intervention to encourage smoking cessation during Ramadan.

Complementing this study is Hamad Medical Corporation’s Smoking Cessation Clinic that encourages tobacco smokers to use Ramadan as the opportunity to quit the habit and focus on living a healthier lifestyle.

Dr. Ahmad Al Mulla, Head of the Smoking Cessation Clinic, said: “Fasting in Ramadan provides an ideal opportunity for smokers to quit so the number of people who visit us with the intention of quitting during this time is higher than during other periods of the year.”

“We encourage people to stop smoking, not only with the facts about how detrimental smoking is to their health,” he explains, citing that many people are well aware of the health risks of smoking already. “We try to focus on the religious aspect of it, as smoking is haram. Ramadan is a time where Muslims reflect on their relationship with God and show their faithfulness by abstaining from sinful behaviour. So, if a person can stop smoking for maybe 12 or 13 hours, we encourage them to try to go the whole day without. We encourage people to spend the money they would have spent on cigarettes to donate to charity or to zakat.”

Ramadan activities, such as family visits and prayers, also help keep an individual occupied and assist him or her to quit smoking.

Dr. Al Mulla speculates that the reason why the study proves a higher success rate for smoker cessation among those who have quit smoking during Ramadan could be as a result of positive, faith-based reinforcement.

“It makes sense that if someone has quit smoking during Ramadan, they are more able to abstain from smoking after as they are more spiritually connected and the religious reasons for quitting are more in line with their renewed faith, even after they Holy Month is over.”

Quitting smoking has various health benefits, such as improved blood sugar levels and blood circulation, increased insulin reception (especially in diabetics), decreased cholesterol levels, and decreased health complications.

The study, titled, “The effect of faith-based smoking cessation intervention during Ramadan among Malay smokers” can be found online in the Qatar Medical Journal, one of many peer-reviewed, open access journals published by HBKU Press and hosted on QScience.com on various subjects that help inform and stimulate scholarly discussion about local and international issues. 

“HBKU Press’s platform,QScience.com, is the ideal source for current research on a wide range of topics such as healthcare, education, the law, and other cultural and social issues,” explains Dr. Alwaleed Alkhaja, Senior Editor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press. “The Open Access information covers research that has generated both locally and internationally, and that goes through a rigorous peer-review process to ensure that only the most accurate and up-to-date information is available to the public.”