Table 1 contains two errors. The observed death rate from all
cancers combined among women in 1991 was 175.3 per 100,000 in 1991 (not
173.3). The percentage decrease in the death rate from 1991 to 2003 was
8.4%. We noted and corrected both errors in the galleys but the
corrections were not picked up by the copy editor.
The recent article by Gilpin, et al.,[1] reported the major initial
impact of California’s tobacco control efforts was to initially reduce
cigs/day among continuing smokers and this was followed by an increase in
quitting.[1] We would like to make three comments on this paper.
First, this study was one of the first to decompose the effects of
tobacco control into effects on initiation, cessation and reducti...
The recent article by Gilpin, et al.,[1] reported the major initial
impact of California’s tobacco control efforts was to initially reduce
cigs/day among continuing smokers and this was followed by an increase in
quitting.[1] We would like to make three comments on this paper.
First, this study was one of the first to decompose the effects of
tobacco control into effects on initiation, cessation and reduction. Such
analyses are crucial to understanding how tobacco control works. Second,
decreased tobacco sales data appeared to be an early indicator of later
declines in prevalence; thus, when tobacco control programs are pressed to
show changes in the first few years, sales data may be the most sensitive
measure to document progress or the lack thereof.
Third, although the authors did not state that reduction in cigs/day
caused later changes in quitting, some readers could interpret their data
to indicate this. An alternate explanation is that reduction in cigs/day
was simply an indicator of other processes such as denormalization of
smoking. However, other data suggest reduction may, in fact, cause
increased cessation. Our recent review found that among the 19 studies of
reducing cigs/day in smokers not trying to quit, 16 found reduction was
followed by increased cessation.[2] Importantly, among the 10 randomized
controlled trials of using medications or behavioral treatments to induce
reduction, 9 found reduction led to increased quitting. Although these
studies focused on interventions at the individual level, it may be that
reduction in cigs/day achieved by tobacco policies, taxes, community
interventions, etc. also lead to later cessation.
Gilpin, et al., [1] hypothesized a mechanism by which reduction might lead
to cessation; i.e., reduced cigs/day may lead to decreased dependence.
Although this is highly feasible, surprisingly, our review could not find
any studies that have tested this. Other possible mechanisms include
reduction increases self-efficacy or disrupts the association of smoking
with specific environmental cues.
If reduction leads to cessation, then when treatment programs observe
that some relapsed smokers return to lower cigs/day than prior to
attempting to quit, they should implement treatments to maintain this
reduction. In fact, the Lung Health Study undertook such a strategy (via
continued use of medication) in many relapsed smokers[3] and reported one
of the highest rates of long-term cessation in the literature.[4]
Reference List
1. Gilpin EA, Messer K, White MW et al. What contributed to the
major decline in per capita cigarette consumption during California's
comprehensive tobacco control programme? Tob Control, 2006;15:308-316.
2. Hughes JR, Carpenter MJ Does smoking reduction increase future
cessation and decrease disease risk? A qualitative review. Nicotine Tob
Res, in press
3. Hughes JR, Lindgren PG, Connett JE et al. Reduction of smoking in
the Lung Health Study. Nicotine Tob Res, 2004;6:275-280.
4. Anthonisen NR, Connett JE, Kiley JP et al. Effects of smoking
intervention and the use of an inhaled anticholinergic bronchodilator on
the rate of decline of FEV. JAMA, 1994;272:1497-1505.
Care is needed when using aggregate smokeless tobacco (SLT)
consumption data to examine the potential for SLT being used as a
potential reduced exposure product. As far as I am aware very few people,
if any, are suggesting that traditional chewing tobacco be used as an aid
to smoking cessation; any hopes in this area have been focused on moist
smokeless tobacco (MST).
Care is needed when using aggregate smokeless tobacco (SLT)
consumption data to examine the potential for SLT being used as a
potential reduced exposure product. As far as I am aware very few people,
if any, are suggesting that traditional chewing tobacco be used as an aid
to smoking cessation; any hopes in this area have been focused on moist
smokeless tobacco (MST).
Data from the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB),
available at www.ttb.gov, show that MST and chewing tobacco have had very
different consumption patterns over the last decade. Using taxable
removals (in pounds) in the US, plus imports, as a proxy for consumption,
consumption of chewing tobacco seems to have declined at a rate of 5.2% a
year between 1997 and 2005, while consumption of MST grew at a rate of
3.6% a year over the same period. Aggregate SLT consumption over the
period declined at 0.1% a year.
The picture of steady growth in annual MST volumes – contrasting with
declines for cigarette consumption – is also corroborated by industry
data. Data from Swedish Match, based on AC Nielsen figures, suggest that
consumption of MST grew at 3.7% a year between 1997 and 2005, as measured
per can (available in investor presentations section of
www.swedishmatch.com).
Both the TTB and the industry data suggest that MST consumption may
have accelerated in recent years. Measured by weight, MST consumption grew
at an annual rate of 3.3% from 1997 to 2002, and by 4.0% a year from 2002
to 2005 according to TTB data. Measured in cans, MST consumption grew at
2.3% a year from 1997 to 2002, and by 6.2% annually from 2002 to 2005,
according to Swedish Match. The latest Nielsen figures also seem to be
indicating that the MST category is growing by volume at 6-7% in the first
half of 2006.
I have not seen a definitive study of why this apparent acceleration
of consumption is happening. Part of the explanation is down to the fairly
rapid growth of discount snuff brands, which may be encouraging existing
MST users to consume more product. But industry leader UST also believes
that the number of adult consumers has increased recently.
According to UST survey data (see its December 2005 Annual Investor
Meeting presentation at www.ustinc.com) the number of adult consumers of
MST grew from 4.7mn in 2001 to 5.4mn in 2004. If we take US Census Bureau
(www.census.gov) estimates for the population size in July of each of
those years (285.1mn in 2001 and 293.7 in 2004), that would mean MST
prevalence grew from 1.65% to 1.83% over the period. The same UST survey
from 2004 also suggests that 63% of those MST users who had been using MST
for less than a year had used cigarettes or roll-your-own tobacco as their
first regular tobacco product.
Disclosures:
Deutsche Bank and/or affiliates own one percent of more of the common
equity of Swedish Match, expects to receive, or intends to seek,
compensation for investment banking services in the next three months, and
received non-investment banking related compensation from this company
within the past year.
The eletter entitled "A Personal Experience with Goza and Shisha
Smoking is authored by only FOUAD A. Al-BELASY. The names of other co-
workers were mistakenly entered during submission from below the bar
displaying how to enter other colleagues.
Shisha, Goza, Hashish and Street Children: What the
Egyptian Scene Teaches Us
For historical,
sociocultural and health reasons, Egypt is certainly the most important country
in the world regarding shisha smoking (*). So, many thanks to Pr Fouad
Al-Belasy and his colleagues for the very rich comments about the Egyptian Goza
and Shisha. This showed, once more, the complexity of the issue and how different
from the cigarette world it is. It is not everyday that we have a scientist with such hands-on experience and whose studies, particularly the last one in the Journal
of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, definitely reflects such qualities.
MOLLASSES. In his contribution, the
tobacco-mollasses mixture (mu‘assel; and “maassel” in Egyptian Arabic…) is said
to be unflavoured. I would like to inform him that in other countries,
particularly Arab countries, the same word is employed for the flavoured
product as well. And when the unflavoured product is used, it is sometimes
called jurâk.
BOURY. “Boury” can be used synonymously for
Shisha, he says. I would like to note that in a country like Yemen, such a
word represents the clay bowl of the madâ‘a (the national narghile) filled with
tumbak (raw tobacco)(*). I assume that this is a metonymic description
as it often happens in this field. For instance, “hookah” is literally an
Arabic word (for “urn”, e.g. of water) and similarly “shisha”, which means, in
Persian, something like a “bottle” (sise in Turkish). In Asia,
the same linguistic transfer seems to occur where “chillum” may mean the bowl
but sometimes, also, the hookah itself (*).
GOZA. What Pr Al-Belasy states about the
Goza (take care with the different spellings – perhaps we should keep “Goza”
and forget about “gooza” and “gûza”), and the description he gives of its
material details (from the valve to the reed and from the lighter to the
“bilya”…), and how they are used (body techniques), are indeed very important
because of their deep consequences on the related biomedical studies. I would
like to add that, my own work also contains similar descriptions of the Goza
and its users. For instance, I quote a popular song by M. Sêlem (‘El-Kîf) where the whole atmosphere of a Goza party is depicted as in Pr
Al-Belasy’s input (*). I have also carried
on an analysis of a book by Egyptian Nobel Prize Naguib Mahfûz (Tharthara fawqä n-nîl) in which the Goza is used as a mere pretext (a
relevant key sociological notion), being described in almost every page of the
novel (*). To close this chapter, thank you for recalling Salem, a pioneer in
research on Goza smoking, author of so many valuable studies on it (see our
Tetralogy)(*).
HASHISH.As for the use of hashish
in the goza, Pr Al-Belasy’s anthropological description (in the true sense of
the word) of its smokers is also very interesting. In my chief work, I also
provide extensive narrative depictions of situations where such odd
characters as the Me‘ellem (Sultan), his wife the Me‘ellema, and other
colourful actors of the “gurez” (secret smoking rooms) “sign” their goza
by placing the substance inside the bowl (*).
CHILDREN SMOKING. What Pr Al-Belasy tells us about
children and smoking in his country is very useful because there has been a lot
of confusion in this respect. He is a personal witness of how poverty may
transform the “commonly accepted traditions” that maintain children away from
smoking. In the poor countries, not only shoe-shine boys at work are
commonplace scenes but also children selling cigarettes in the streets. For
them, the cafés are a natural and important place because there are many
potential clients. They are also a place where they can rest a little. Now, if
you were such a street child, probably in charge of several brothers and
sisters, you would feel that you have quickly become an adult simply because
you spend a great part of the day working in adult environments such as the
above cafés.
Consequently, from
time to time, you may try to reward yourself because the child is still in you.
Why not ask for a delicious “apple, peach, banana, or cherry shisha” since
nobody in society cares for you and your brothers and sisters anymore ? Neither
the walkers nor the employees of the coffee-shops would try to exert any kind
of moral or social control over you. You see, if these children were normal,
i.e. if they were not poor, of course their parents would never let them ask
for such a product and would let them clearly understand that this is
forbidden. Alternatively, they could find out that it is a kind of “rite of
passage” to the world of men and grown-ups. In these conditions, they would
learn, instead, to ask for an ice-cream flavoured with the same above fruits...
Shisha vs. “Water-pipe” : The Question of a
Unifying Term
Hookah, Narghile
and Shisha are definitely not “local words” (Maziak). “Hookah” is used
(with slight spelling variations) in India, Pakistan, the USA, Canada and many
English speaking countries. “Narghile”, with the same reservations, is
prevalent in many countries of the Middle East, including Turkey, where it is
the official name (“nargile” with no “h”), and Iran where it is one of both
national forms with the Qalyân. “Narghile” is also used in many European and
African languages. As for “Shisha”, it has been a word widely employed in Asia
and Africa for centuries. Today, its related service (within the so-called
“shisha bars”, “shisha lounges”, etc.) is offered in almost all countries of
the world.
By contrast, I am
afraid the word “water-pipe” lacks the necessary essence in a field where the
socio-cultural context is known to be complex and highly important in relation
to biology and psychopharmacology. So, I would encourage my colleagues to
keep it exclusively for experiments on smoking machines in a laboratory and never
use it for real human smoking. Another problem with “water-pipe” is its strong
connotations with the drug culture, particularly in the USA in the context of
the Drug Paraphernalia Laws(*). Indeed, peoples of the Middle
East are always shocked when they hear or see that the shisha they have been
using for centuries in convivial settings, is portrayed in the West as a mere
drug taking device.
If only one among
the 3 major universal words (Hookah, Narghile, Shisha) had to be kept, I would
personally recommend Shisha. On one hand, this word is used everywhere in the world. It can be
easily pronounced and memorised by almost any individual in the world (remember
why the commercial word “Kodak” was chosen). On the other, like “Hookah”
(Arabic for urn), “Narghile” (Sanskrit then Persian for coco nut) and “Goza”
(Egyptian Arabic for coco nut), Shisha is consistent with the wide diversity
covered by an anthropological genus that perfectly reflects the phylogenetic
link between the common element (water recipient) and its remote –and
considered so important- origin when a coco nut, half filled with water, was
used as a smoke filter. From this perspective, Shisha is highly generic,
understood as descriptive of all members of a genus.
I also think the
question of sharing knowledge among researchers has no relation with the words
by themselves, be they narghile, hookah, shisha or “water-pipe”, but rather
with the will to cooperate and take stock of the existing work carried in this
field (*) and in any language. Unfortunately, this has not been done
when a report for a supranational organisation (WHO), supposed to be based on a
“world review”, was recently prepared on this subject. Besides, I may wonder
where the real linguistic standardisation problem lies when recurring studies
(Natto 2005 and Tamim 2006, just to mention recent ones) mistake one product
for the other. Finally, the selection of one word should have been discussed
among researchers. Unfortunately, this did not happen so the related choices
are obviously arbitrary and hence, questionable.
This is to comment on the following recently published eletter:
The issue of nomenclature: Wasim Maziak (17 June 2006)
In a dictionary search for Hookah, Hubble-bubble, Narghile, Arghile,
Water-pipe and Shisha, the Oxford Paperback Dictionary [1] defines Hookah
as an oriental tobacco pipe with a long tube passing through a glass
container that cools the smoke as it is drawn thr...
This is to comment on the following recently published eletter:
The issue of nomenclature: Wasim Maziak (17 June 2006)
In a dictionary search for Hookah, Hubble-bubble, Narghile, Arghile,
Water-pipe and Shisha, the Oxford Paperback Dictionary [1] defines Hookah
as an oriental tobacco pipe with a long tube passing through a glass
container that cools the smoke as it is drawn through and defines Hubble-
bubble as (i) a simple Hookah, (ii) a bubbling sound and (iii) a confused
talk. No definition was given in this Oxford dictionary to Narghile,
Arghile, Shisha or Water-pipe. Al-Mawrid [2] defines Hookah into its
literal meaning as well as Narghile and Shisha (the Arabic word). It
defines Water-pipe as (i) a water tube and (ii) Narghile and gives the
term Narghile its literal meaning. Al-Mawrid also gives no definition to
Arghile or Shisha. In this context, the term Hookah dominates. Therefore,
the conclusion that the term Water-pipe has the strength of highlighting a
unique and unifying feature of all other local types [3] has to be
reconsidered.
It is the scientific literature as well as Media which paves the way
for the publicity of scientific terms. In this respect, one can review the
deep effect of Media on the widespread use of scientific terms (acronyms)
such as AIDS and SARS to the extent of publicity despite the specificity
of both terms and the deficient knowledge of the public. Therefore, with
the international use of Shisha as well as benefiting the deep effect of
Media, the term Shisha, in my opinion, will be more appropriate for the
scientific literature increasing the potential of sharing and
communicating research results [3].
It is interesting to say that in the search for the definition of
Shisha, the term Shish-kebab was found in both dictionaries and I believe
that the habit of Shisha smoking is of no less significance than the habit
of eating Shish-kebab.
References:
1- Liebeck H, Pollard E: The Oxford Paperback Dictionary. Oxford
University Press 1994.
2- Ba'albaki M: Al-Mawrid: A Basic Modern English-Arabic Dictionary.
Beirut- Lebanon 2002.
3- Maziak W: Eletter: The issue of nomenclature. TC online 17 June 2006.
I thank the authors of letters regarding our published work (Ward et
al, 2006) on their useful remarks. It is self-understandable that no one
uses the world waterpipe when asking the public about this tobacco use
method, but use the local word for it. The same way that we never ask the
public about ischemic heart disease but use this term extensively in
research papers about this problem. It is also understandable that t...
I thank the authors of letters regarding our published work (Ward et
al, 2006) on their useful remarks. It is self-understandable that no one
uses the world waterpipe when asking the public about this tobacco use
method, but use the local word for it. The same way that we never ask the
public about ischemic heart disease but use this term extensively in
research papers about this problem. It is also understandable that there
is a need to use some unified term related to this tobacco use method in
order to facilitate the indexing, search, and communication of research
results related to this tobacco use method. While the waterpipe may not be
a perfect term, local words describing this method (hookah, shisha,
narghile, etc) can not be used as a unified term because of their local
nature. The term waterpipe has the strength of highlighting a unique and
unifying feature of all these local types; that is the passage of smoke
through the water before inhalation by the smokers. In the end, people are
free to use whatever term they see optimal in their research papers, but
having a unified term at least in their key words will increase the
potential of sharing their research results with all interested in this
issue.
This is to comment on the following recently published eletter:
Chaouachi K: Syria, Lebanon, Tobacco Research in General and Narghile
(Hookah, Shisha) Smoking in Particular. TC Online 8 June 2006.
I completely agree with the statement that Shisha is now used
internationally because of the global hookah craze whereas “waterpipe” is
no hypostasis and adhere to the notice that this wo...
This is to comment on the following recently published eletter:
Chaouachi K: Syria, Lebanon, Tobacco Research in General and Narghile
(Hookah, Shisha) Smoking in Particular. TC Online 8 June 2006.
I completely agree with the statement that Shisha is now used
internationally because of the global hookah craze whereas “waterpipe” is
no hypostasis and adhere to the notice that this word creates
bibliographic noise in databases since it also refers to household
infrastructure plumbing equipments [1]. Goza and Boury, however, are two
other common names in Egypt. While Shisha and Boury may be synonymously
asked for in a café shop by tobacco smokers in Egypt, Goza- not available
now in all café shops- is the favorite for some smokers; especially
Hashish smokers.
The use of Shisha as a substitute for cigarettes after quitting, and
the fact that Shisha triggers relapse for some cigarette quitters is
indeed a unique and worrisome observation [1, 2]. In addition, the
initiation of Shisha smoking by a significant number of cigarette smokers
is truly a significant unintended consequence of cigarette smoking
cessation. While tobacco smokers who are only Shisha smokers never
initiate cigarette smoking upon quitting, cigarette quitters may initiate
Shisha smoking. However, cigarette quitters who initiate Shisha smoking
are highly expected to resume cigarette smoking because they soon realize,
under the effect of nicotine dependency, the ease of smoking a cigarette
while reading, driving or talking in the telephone, for example.
References:
1- Chaouachi K: Syria, Lebanon, Tobacco Research in General and Narghile
(Hookah, Shisha) Smoking in Particular. TC Online eletter 8 June 2006.
2- Ward KD, Eissenberg T, Rastam S, Asfar T,Mzayek F, Fouad MF, Hammal
F,Mock J, Maziak W: The tobacco epidemic in Syria. Tobacco Control 2006;
15; 24-29.
Being a son of a famous well-qualified owner of a café shop, I have
been, since the early days of my perception, in direct contact with Goza
and Shisha smokers.
Goza is a modified form of Shisha. It has its head, body, water-container,
and hose [1]. However, Goza has no mouth-piece separated from the hose and
no disposable plastic mouth-piece is served or commonly used. Yet, the
water-container of Goza was and still is ma...
Being a son of a famous well-qualified owner of a café shop, I have
been, since the early days of my perception, in direct contact with Goza
and Shisha smokers.
Goza is a modified form of Shisha. It has its head, body, water-container,
and hose [1]. However, Goza has no mouth-piece separated from the hose and
no disposable plastic mouth-piece is served or commonly used. Yet, the
water-container of Goza was and still is made from metal and the hose is 1
-1.5 meter long semi-dry sloping reed in which the partitions are hollowed
through the use of a thin heated auger (not anyone can do this). Moreover,
the water container of Goza has a small opening covered by a small piece
of soft leather fastened by rolling several loops of thread or elastic to
the lower end of the body, which acts as a valve allowing smoke entrapped
in the vacuum space to be expelled between inhalations or before use by a
sharing smoker. However, this valve ("Raffas") was devoid in earlier Goza.
Serving both Goza and Shisha necessitates changing water from time to
time, frequent cleaning of the body internals using a thick heated auger
followed by several washings using hot water, and flaming of the lighter
before being placed over the head. Unlike Shisha, however, the water-
container of Goza can be placed in a small basin filled with cold water
while not in use. But, Goza necessitates holding it while smoking; usually
by the smoker himself. In this respect, it is interesting to say that some
Goza smokers were seen to fantastically design a metallic short stand with
a movable ball bearing socket in order to avoid keeping hold of Goza and
to freely pass the hose from one smoker to another. This altogether with
decorations of Goza or Shisha implies the deep effect of the habit on some
smokers.
Up to the nineties of the passed century, only adults and elderly men were
seen smoking Goza or Shisha. It was extremely rare to see a child (17-19
years old) who smokes Goza or Shisha. To my experience, having a seat and
table in a café shop was only an act of adults. Children were not allowed
to enter any café shop except for watching the T.V. No child could dare to
ask for Goza or Shisha otherwise he will be forced out or remembered to
his parents or guardian. Moreover, a cigarette smoking child was
considered violating the commonly accepted traditions of society. However,
cigarette smoking by homeless children was only accepted and pitied at the
same time by society during these days. Therefore, with the dramatic
changes in the accepted norms by new societies, it has become usual to see
a café shop partly occupied by children smoking tobacco.
From another perspective, maassel was and still is the most commonly used
tobacco in Goza or Shisha smoking. Maassel is of three common degrees:
hot, moderate and cold. Flavored tobacco, on the other hand, has become
widely available in most café shops. Both can be provided in the café shop
by the server but maassel; in addition, can be purchased by the smoker
himself. Unlike maassel, flavored tobacco can be easily smoked by a child
without feeling lightheadedness, headache or an altered state of
consciousness. Therefore, it has become usual to see children in café
shops asking for an apple, peach, banana, or cherry Shisha. They usually
ask for it cheerfully as if they were asking for a drink. However, in
underdeveloped or developing countries a question may be raised about home
circumstances, financial support and character of the child who can pay
for multiple drinks as well as Shisha smoking in a café shop.
In the past, smoking Goza or Shisha by elderly females was accepted by
society and considered as equal or parallel to snuff dipping or snuff
inhalation; a habit that was widely prevalent among old females at that
time. While the habit of smoking tobacco by adult females was considered
pornographic, only adult female with the nickname "Mealemma" {(Master) or
a female in charge of a café shop or agency for example} was accepted as a
Shisha smoker. At the present time, with the wide prevalence of
Satellites, and Media over-flow [2] as well as sexual effects, it has
become familiar to see adult females sitting freely in café shops and
smoking flavored Shishas.
Maassel can be considered the most commonly used tobacco by dependent Goza
or Shisha smokers. Some of those dependent Goza or Shisha smokers may be
Hashish smokers. In the past, most café shops had an isolated corner for
Hashish smokers who were given a due consideration by the server. However,
because of a governmental pursue the habit of Hashish smoking has been
almost eradicated in café shops. Nevertheless, "Bango" (an intoxicating
plant leaves) has become the alternative despite the war against both.
Serving a Hashish or Bango smoker differs from serving a maassel or
flavored tobacco smoker. Maassel or flavored tobacco smoking is served by
asking for alternative heads on an individual basis where the server is
entirely responsible to provide a highly working Shisha or Goza with the
head fully filled with tobacco and covered with a burning lighter. in
Hashish smoking, however, a set of heads usually five or ten made from
crockery are first filled with maassel and placed before the smoker over a
wooden stand where the smoker covers maassel with Hashish cut into small
discs (approximately .5-1mm thick and .3-.5 cm in diameter) or Bango
spread over in a coarse powdered form. This entails that the head in
Hashish smoking is only 1/4 filled with maassel ("Tasheirah"). Moreover,
and unlike maassel or flavored tobacco smoking, the server in Hashish
smoking will join the smoker where he is required to change the heads,
flame the lighter before every time another head is used and even share in
smoking.
While cigarettes can be filled with Hashish or Bango to have a "Saroukh"
(rocket) by some smokers, Goza or Shisha is essentially instrumental in
Hashish or Bango smoking habit. This simply may be a corollary to the well
known fact that Goza or Shisha smoking is a social habit practiced and
shared in groups. In addition to health hazards relevant to the used
tobacco, type of lighter as well as the risk of disease transmission
through sharing the hose of Goza [3-5], Hashish or Bango smoking becomes
more hazardous. Therefore, endeavors and strategies aimed at
understanding, analyzing and preventing this habit should be developed and
implemented by all concerned authorities.
References
1. Maziak W, Ward KD, Afifi Soweid RA, Eissenberg T: Tobacco smoking
using a waterpipe: a re-emerging strain in a global epidemic. Tobacco
Control 2004; 13: 327-333.
2. Chaouachi K: Eletters: About the so-called epidemic and the poor
smoking people - Ward KD, Eissenberg T, Rastam S, Asfar T,Mzayek F, Fouad
MF, Hammal F,Mock J, Maziak W: The tobacco epidemic in Syria. Tobacco
Control 2006; 15; 24-29.
3. Salem ES, Sami A: Studies on pulmonary manifestations of goza smokers.
Chest 1974; 65:599.
4. Shihadeh A: Investigation of mainstream smoke aerosol of the argileh
water pipe. Food Chem Toxicol 2003; 41:143–52.
5. Al-Belasy FA: The relationship of "shisha" (water pipe) smoking to
postextraction dry socket. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2004; 62:10-14.
Table 1 contains two errors. The observed death rate from all cancers combined among women in 1991 was 175.3 per 100,000 in 1991 (not 173.3). The percentage decrease in the death rate from 1991 to 2003 was 8.4%. We noted and corrected both errors in the galleys but the corrections were not picked up by the copy editor.
The recent article by Gilpin, et al.,[1] reported the major initial impact of California’s tobacco control efforts was to initially reduce cigs/day among continuing smokers and this was followed by an increase in quitting.[1] We would like to make three comments on this paper.
First, this study was one of the first to decompose the effects of tobacco control into effects on initiation, cessation and reducti...
Care is needed when using aggregate smokeless tobacco (SLT) consumption data to examine the potential for SLT being used as a potential reduced exposure product. As far as I am aware very few people, if any, are suggesting that traditional chewing tobacco be used as an aid to smoking cessation; any hopes in this area have been focused on moist smokeless tobacco (MST).
Data from the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax an...
The eletter entitled "A Personal Experience with Goza and Shisha Smoking is authored by only FOUAD A. Al-BELASY. The names of other co- workers were mistakenly entered during submission from below the bar displaying how to enter other colleagues.
Shisha, Goza, Hashish and Street Children: What the Egyptian Scene Teaches Us
For historical, sociocultural and health reasons, Egypt is cer...
Shisha vs. “Water-pipe” : The Question of a Unifying Term
...Dear Editor,
This is to comment on the following recently published eletter:
The issue of nomenclature: Wasim Maziak (17 June 2006)
In a dictionary search for Hookah, Hubble-bubble, Narghile, Arghile, Water-pipe and Shisha, the Oxford Paperback Dictionary [1] defines Hookah as an oriental tobacco pipe with a long tube passing through a glass container that cools the smoke as it is drawn thr...
I thank the authors of letters regarding our published work (Ward et al, 2006) on their useful remarks. It is self-understandable that no one uses the world waterpipe when asking the public about this tobacco use method, but use the local word for it. The same way that we never ask the public about ischemic heart disease but use this term extensively in research papers about this problem. It is also understandable that t...
Dear Editor,
This is to comment on the following recently published eletter:
Chaouachi K: Syria, Lebanon, Tobacco Research in General and Narghile (Hookah, Shisha) Smoking in Particular. TC Online 8 June 2006.
I completely agree with the statement that Shisha is now used internationally because of the global hookah craze whereas “waterpipe” is no hypostasis and adhere to the notice that this wo...
Being a son of a famous well-qualified owner of a café shop, I have been, since the early days of my perception, in direct contact with Goza and Shisha smokers. Goza is a modified form of Shisha. It has its head, body, water-container, and hose [1]. However, Goza has no mouth-piece separated from the hose and no disposable plastic mouth-piece is served or commonly used. Yet, the water-container of Goza was and still is ma...
Pages