Quit Smoking starting this Ramadan

[أم بدر الدين]

PART ONE

[size=7]Know that it will take effort to quit smoking. Nicotine is habit forming. Half of the
battle in quitting is knowing you need to quit ..[/size]



Gathering all the will power they have Muslim smokers who fast during Ramadan are refraining themselves from food, drinks and smoking during the daytime to fulfill their religious obligation of fasting during this month.

Owing to nicotine dependency, some smokers may experience withdrawal symptoms, like irritability, anger, restlessness, impatience, insomnia and difficulty concentrating. Due to the craving of nicotine, most smokers reach for their cigarettes after breaking of fast, some may even do so within a few minutes after consuming food or drinks.

Before the "addicted" smoker can quit, he must appreciate what addiction is all about and how he can be weaned off smoking. Ramadan provides an excellent opportunity to change one's mindset and environment to quit smoking.

Understanding what tobacco dependence is all about can help the smoker change his habits. This is especially so because addictive behavior has a direct influence on the bodily chemicals that affect emotions and behavior.

Often, it is the emotional aspects that cause the smoking behavior to continue. And thus the multitude of excuses which smokers offer such as it gives "a surge of energy", or "acts to reduce tension" or even "gives a feeling of security".

What it actually amounts to is that smoking maintains a certain level of nicotine in the smoker's blood, especially in the brain.

This is, in fact, the key to understanding addiction as a result of nicotine inhaled from the cigarette. Under the influence of a high level of nicotine, all the above-mentioned excuses seem real. The smoker is emotionally satisfied by his smoking behavior.