Food and Substance Addiction Control and Policies: An halalan-toyyiban Perspective

Noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease are amongst top public health threats facing the world. These diseases have been linked to excessive consumption of sugar, cigarette and other substance addictions or abuse. Prevalence and higher rates of NCD are recorded in developing countries where most Muslim countries feature. This calls for concerns considering that Islam offers unique solutions to every challenge of life with comprehensive principles that stipulates a dietary and consumption system aimed at achieving ethical, healthy and wholesome consumption. Many countries have domesticated World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended public health policies to control consumptions that causes deadly diseases. Some of these policies are based and shaped by secular, Western or Non-Muslim values, cultures and perspectives. However, many studies have emphasised importance of health strategies that are faith based or culturally-relevant. In view of prevalence of public health problems associated with obesity and poor dietary patterns in Muslim communities, this mini review aims to examine the issues of food and substance addictions, public health policies and ethics from halalan-toyyiban perspectives.