Background: Waterpipe tobacco smoking rates in the Eastern Mediterranean region are some of the highest worldwide, especially among young people. This study aimed to improve our knowledge of the policy-relevant context of waterpipe smoking among six countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and the U...

BACKGROUND The primary objective was to systematically review the medical literature for instruments validated for use in epidemiological and clinical research on waterpipe smoking. METHODS We searched the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and ISI the Web of Science. We selected studies using a two-stage duplicate and independent screening process. We included papers reporting on the deve...

INTRODUCTION To date research on tobacco smoking with a waterpipe (hookah, narghile, and shisha) has focused primarily on the individual user in a laboratory setting. Yet, waterpipe tobacco smoking is often a social practice that occurs in cafés, homes, and other natural settings. This observational study examined the behavior of waterpipe tobacco smokers and the social and contextual features ...

The 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act prohibits "characterizing flavors" (e.g., candy, fruit, and chocolate) other than tobacco and menthol in cigarettes; however, characterizing flavors are not currently prohibited in other tobacco products. Analyses of retail sales data suggest that U.S. consumption of flavored noncigarette tobacco products, including flavored cigars and ...

OBJECTIVES Waterpipe smoking is highly prevalent among university students, and has been increasing in popularity despite mounting evidence showing it is harmful to health. The aim of this study was to measure preferences for waterpipe smoking and determine which product characteristics are most important to smokers. SETTING A large university in the Southeastern USA. PARTICIPANTS Adult wat...

Waterpipe smoking, a tobacco consumption method traditionally associated with the Middle East and South Asia, has increased in prevalence in the last decade in Europe and the US, especially among young people (Amin et al., 2010; Al-Naggar; Saghir, 2011; Martinasek et al., 2011). The waterpipe apparatus consists of a head, body, bowl and hose. The head is loaded with a 10-20 gram of fruit-flavou...

Although a few countries have banned flavored cigarettes (except menthol), flavors in most tobacco products remain unregulated across the globe. We conducted a systematic review of qualitative studies examining perceptions of and experiences with flavored non-menthol tobacco products. Of 20 studies on flavored tobacco products included in our qualitative systematic review, 10 examined hookah, s...

INTRODUCTION This study examined patterns of use of flavored tobacco products in a nationally generalizable sample of Canadian students in grades 9 through 12 after the implementation of a national ban on certain flavored tobacco products. METHODS Data from the 2010-2011 Youth Smoking Survey, a nationally generalizable sample of Canadian students in grades 9 through 12 (n = 31,396), were used...

INTRODUCTION Waterpipe tobacco smoking involves self-administration of the dependence-producing drug nicotine. Few studies have examined if dependence in waterpipe smokers influences toxicant exposure and smoking behavior. METHOD Current waterpipe tobacco smokers were categorized based on Lebanese Waterpipe Dependence Scale-11 (LWDS-11) score (LWDS-11: LOW < 7; N = 59; HIGH > 13; N = 59). Par...

BACKGROUND Waterpipe (hookah, shisha) tobacco smoking has spread worldwide. Many waterpipe smokers believe that, relative to cigarettes, waterpipes are associated with lower smoke toxicant levels and fewer health risks. For physicians to address these beliefs credibly, waterpipe use and cigarette smoking must be compared directly. PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to provide the first cont...