The month of Ramadan is a month of piety, meditation and abstinence. This is therefore an ideal opportunity to quit smoking. Since you have to abstain from smoking for at least 16 hours, you might as well make an effort to do without it permanently. According to health specialists, thanks to the month of Ramadan, the body can completely get rid of nicotine. It’s not impossible, all it takes is a bit of willpower and perseverance to take the leap and enjoy a healthy and safe life. “Many smokers are driven by the desire to end their addiction to tobacco, and they make enormous efforts to overcome nicotine, but most of the time these efforts do not succeed. According to specialists, Ramadan is a favorable occasion to quit smoking. Fasting throughout the holy month and for fairly long fasting days is a real opportunity for smokers to quit smoking forever,” notes the Ministry of Health in its Sehati portal.
“Fasting brings together the ideal conditions for a progressive smoking cessation and it allows smokers to free themselves from addiction, to regain good physical shape and vitality. There is no standard protocol to follow because tobacco addiction differs from person to person, but that does not prevent you from taking advantage of this holy month and treating it as a program that promotes quitting smoking. gradually,” explains Fatimazahra Skalli, a pulmonologist.
Dreadful ordeal for some, valid for others
Many smokers, aware of the danger of nicotine, are happy to take a beneficial break for the body as long as it allows you to temporarily get rid of this substance that is harmful to body and mind. Others, completely “addicted”, go through a severe test of patience by observing the fast. A delicate situation that systematically affects the nerves: “the individual smoker who deprives himself overnight of nicotine and cigarette smoke inevitably suffers from a psychological imbalance. He no longer enjoys perfect control of his mental abilities and becomes nervous and overexcited, ”underlines the specialist. “I often smoke 4 or 5 cigarettes in a row. For me, cigarettes are an indispensable element of concentration at work. Without it, I feel helpless. In the month of Ramadan, I often manage to go on leave,” says Mehdi, 36, a real estate agent.
On the other hand, Achraf, 29, administrative manager, does not seem to suffer from this abstinence: “I feel a little disconnected at the start of Ramadan. Right after, I get used to the new rhythm. I absolutely want to get rid of cigarettes. During the sacred month, I find the courage and the chance to annihilate his evil which overwhelms me”.
Fasting: getting rid of traces of nicotine
Recent studies and scientific research have confirmed that fasting during the month of Ramadan makes the human body able to get rid of all toxins, especially traces of nicotine, one of the most important components of cigarettes that cause addiction. . “Fasting strengthens the immune system, rebuilds the body and repairs failures due to toxins in general and smoking in particular,” says Dr. Skalli, noting that fasting renews cells in the body, which makes this month blessed. an opportunity to quit smoking.
“When you abstain from smoking, you have to be very patient during the first days because certain symptoms may appear, the most important of which are anxiety, excessive nervousness, laziness and lack of concentration” , says the pulmonologist. “These are symptoms that begin to disappear as soon as the level of nicotine in the blood drops, which allows the body’s cells to renew themselves, the body regaining its strength and youth,” she adds.
Regarding the practical measures that would help the smoker to quit, the specialist cited in particular the awareness of the health risks of smoking, including lung cancer, intestinal disorders and heart palpitations, vascular spasms, and the high blood pressure. To counter these dangers, it is recommended to regularly practice outdoor sports or join a club, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and adopt a healthy and balanced diet rich in vitamins.
Meryem EL BARHRASSI