Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, marks the period when Muslims fast during daylight hours to learn patience, humility, sacrifice, self-restraint and, above all, God-consciousness. It is a time of increased devotion to God and spiritual renewal. During the month, Muslims should not eat, drink (any liquid) or smoke from dawn to dusk. In the United Kingdom, there is a national smoking cessation service that has ambitious targets for throughput and a responsibility to reach all ethnic groups.

Many public health authorities have used the start of Ramadan as a spur to encourage smoking cessation, using several lines of reasoning. Enforced abstinence from smoking during daylight will engender withdrawal for many regular smokers. With sustained abstinence withdrawal will subside, but not with continued smoking during darkness, so the period of Ramadan is uncomfortable for many smokers unless they become totally abstinent.

Secondly, lapsing during a quit attempt makes achieving prolonged abstinence much less likely, and the prohibition against smoking during the day and the absence of others smoking could assist the quit attempt.

Thirdly, the element of spiritual renewal could lead to changes in a person's sense of self that might bolster cessation success. Gonzales et al. reported that nine out of 10 smokers in Oregon, United States, had previously believed or currently recognized some higher power. ...