Ramadan is quit-smoking opportunity

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health has advised people that Ramadan is the best time to give up cigarettes, according to the Arab News.

The ministry’s spokesman, Dr. Khaled Al-Mirghalani, said Ramadan provided the ideal platform for people to quit smoking because Muslims abstained from the habit from dawn to dusk anyway.

The theory was that it would not be difficult for smokers to abstain, too, between the evening meal and breakfast, as much of the time was spent sleeping.

The official said that people who were interested in quitting could use the facilities and expertise available at the 55 anti-smoking clinics spread across the kingdom.

There were 10 such clinics in Riyadh alone, with one of them exclusively set up for women.

The clinics were set to remain open daily from 21.00 hours to 03.00 hours during Ramadan, the official added.

Saudi Arabia has an estimated 7 million smokers, 5.9 million men and 1.1 million women, according to a study by the Khair Anti-Smoking Association.