Abstract
Our review aimed to compare prevalence and motivations of waterpipe smoking in different countries and related hazards. Published studies about waterpipe smoking in occidental countries and the Eastern Mediterranean region, and its hazards were reviewed. the global epidemic of waterpipe or shisha smoking is on the rise. studies reported alarming levels of waterpipe smoking among adolescents which ranged from 6–34% in the Eastern Mediterranean region and 5–17% among American adolescents. the high prevalence of this epidemic among youth is attributed to the misconceptions about its safety. the principal factors that increase this habit are its social acceptance, its novelty, its availability in numerous appealing flavors, and its relatively low cost. In Western countries, the use of quick lighting charcoal disks impregnated in gasoil rich in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and benzene could add more hazards to waterpipe smoking. strict regulations to control waterpipe tobacco selling are urgently needed, together with antismoking campaigns specifically launched against Mohamed Farouk Allam1, Khaled Mahmoud Abd Elaziz2 Affiliations: 1Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain; 2Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. Corresponding Author: Mohamed Farouk Allam, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cordoba, Avda. Menendez Pidal, s/n Cordoba 14004, Spain; Ph: +34 957 218 278; Fax: +34 957 218 573; Email: fm2faahm@uco.es Received: 11 June 2015 Accepted: 15 September 2015 Published: 16 December 2015 waterpipe smoking to raise awareness about its hazards.
Highlights
Waterpipes have been used to smoke tobacco and other substances by the indigenous peoples of Africa and Asia for at least four centuries
The global epidemic of waterpipe or shisha smoking is on rise, and more must be learned about them so that we can understand their effects on public health, curtail their spread, and help their users quit [2]
Recent studies reported alarming levels of waterpipe smoking among adolescents which ranged from 6–34% in the Eastern Mediterranean region and 5–17% among American adolescents [3]
Summary
Waterpipes have been used to smoke tobacco and other substances by the indigenous peoples of Africa and Asia for at least four centuries. One of the stories about its invention is that waterpipe was invented in India by a physician during the reign of Emperor Akbar (who rules from 1556 to 1605) as a supposedly less harmful method of tobacco use. The physician Hakim Abul Fath suggested that tobacco smoke should be first passed through a small container of water so that it would be rendered harmless [1]. The global epidemic of waterpipe or shisha smoking is on rise, and more must be learned about them so that we can understand their effects on public health, curtail their spread, and help their users quit [2]. Our review aimed to compare prevalence and motivations of waterpipe smoking in different countries and related hazards.
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