The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has launched a stop-smoking campaign to coincide with the start of the month-long Ramadan fast.

"One of the important benefits of the Ramadan fast is the sense of discipline that it instills in an individual," said CAIR deputy director Tahra Goraya. "We can use that discipline to help eliminate a major threat to public health."

CAIR's campaign is coordinated with the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) and the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA). The campaign is part of CAIR's Muslims Care campaign, which encourages Muslims to make positive contributions to American society.

Muslims are supposed to abstain from smoking, eating, drinking, and other "sensual pleasures" from dawn until sunset during Ramadan. "Ramadan is the best time to quit smoking, not just during the day, but permanently," said IMANA President Ashraf Sufi. "IMANA urges all Muslims who smoke to quit this habit and improve the quality of their lives. There is certainly no better time to do this than during the holy month of Ramadan."