tailieunhanh - báo cáo khoa học: " The changing trends in tobacco smoking for young Arab women; narghile, an old habit with a liberal attitude"

Tuyển tập báo cáo các nghiên cứu khoa học quốc tế ngành y học dành cho các bạn tham khảo đề tài: The changing trends in tobacco smoking for young Arab women; narghile, an old habit with a liberal attitude | Dar-Odeh and Abu-Hammad Harm Reduction Journal 2011 8 24 http content 8 1 24 HARM REDUCTION JOURNAL COMMENTARY Open Access The changing trends in tobacco smoking for young Arab women narghile an old habit with a liberal attitude Najla S Dar-Odeh1 and Osama A Abu-Hammad2 Abstract Narghile smoking by young females is becoming more acceptable than cigarettes in the conservative societies of Arab countries. Lack of social constraints on narghile smoking has resulted in an increased prevalence of narghile smoking among young Arab females and an earlier age of onset of this habit when compared to cigarette smoking. Documented health hazards of narghile smoking including pulmonary cardiovascular and neoplastic ailments are consequently expected to affect this vulnerable sector of the population together with their offspring. In this commentary we shed some light on the changing trend of tobacco use among young Arabic women as shown by an increasing number of studies investigating habits of tobacco use in young people. Keywords narghile young Arab females tobacco Prevalence of narghile smoking among young Arab females Although cigarette smoking is the most common type of tobacco use worldwide narghile smoking NS is spreading globally to affect Arabic and western societies. Recent studies have demonstrated a high prevalence of NS among females in many Arabic countries 1-5 . NS is one of the social habits that shape the general forms of Arabic folklore. It is considered socially acceptable by a substantial proportion of the society including young females. This lenient role of the society in accommodating or even encouraging females to smoke narghile seems to override the efficient role of religion. Islam is the religion of most Arabs and it essentially demands paying attention to own health as well as public health 6 . Religious authorities and clerics emphasize this attitude towards NS to the public over the media and during Friday prayers. .