scholarly journals Cigarettes and Water Pipe Smoking Prevalence, Knowledge, and Attitudes Among the Palestinian Physicians in the West Bank

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 1179173X1881336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamzeh Al Zabadi ◽  
Samar Musmar ◽  
Ayah Hassouna ◽  
Doa’a Shtaiwi

Background: Tobacco use is one of the major public health threats nowadays. Smoking can affect everybody organ. Health professionals should play pivotal roles in tobacco control, and their attitude and practice toward tobacco use can affect the health of the community. Therefore, assessing and influencing physicians’ attitudes and practice are one of the alternatives to reduce smoking prevalence in the community. We aimed to assess smoking status among medical physicians in the West Bank, Palestine to better understand their future role in any smoking cessation program. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study using the World Health Organization Global Health Professional Survey questionnaire was conducted. A non-probability sampling technique from a total of 6500 physicians registered in the Palestinian Medical Association in the West Bank was used. Results: The age ranged from 23 to 78 years with a mean of 34.92 years. Current smokers represented 60.3%. Of them, 18.5% were both cigarettes and water pipe smokers. The main reason that motivates the physician to smoke is experimenting (57.9%). Also stress (31.8%) and social pressure (26.4%) were of the most common causes to start smoking. Almost all medical doctors have a high level of knowledge regarding the health consequences of smoking. Smokers were less likely to hold favorable attitudes toward smoking cessation and support tobacco control policy compared with non-smokers ( P-values < .05). Conclusions: Physicians’ degree of awareness and knowledge about their role in aiding patients to quit smoking are high. However, smokers’ attitudes toward smoking cessation programs need to be improved to increase their involvement in such interventional programs.

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolay Gospodinov ◽  
Ian J. Irvine

Abstract New health warnings on tobacco packaging in Canada became mandatory in January 2001. As of that time producers were required to print large-font warning text and graphic images describing the health consequences of using tobacco. This study uses micro data from two waves of Health Canada's Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Surveys bordering the legislation to investigate if the introduction of the warnings had any significant impacts on smokers. The recently drafted Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, under the sponsorship of the World Health Assembly, assigns a central role for this type of message. Our findings indicate that the warnings have not had a discernible impact on smoking prevalence. The evidence of their impact on quantity smoked is positive, though only at a relatively low level of confidence.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heeje Lee ◽  
Minah Kang ◽  
Sangchul Yoon ◽  
Kee B. Park

Abstract Tobacco use is one of the main public health concerns as it causes multiple diseases. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is one of the 168 signatory countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) member states agreed to adopt the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC). However, there is lack of information regarding the tobacco use in the DPRK and the government’s efforts for tobacco control. The aim of the study was to find the prevalence of tobacco use among the DPRK people and the government’s efforts to control tobacco use among its population, through literature review combined with online media content analysis. In 2020, the prevalence of tobacco smoking in males of 15 years and older was 46.1%, whereas that in females was zero. The online media contents showed the DPRK government’s stewardship to promote population health by controlling tobacco use. Furthermore, the DPRK government has taken steps to implement the mandates of the FCTC including introduction of new laws, promotion of research, development of cessation aids, as well as public health campaigns.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Banan Hejaz ◽  
Issam A. Al-Khatib ◽  
Nidal Mahmoud

Like several parts in the Middle East, the West Bank is in a significant water scarcity status. Palestinians use groundwater as the main water source, supplying more than 90% of the consumed water in the West Bank. The aim of this study is to enhance the knowledge on drinking water quality in the West Bank. Groundwater quality data was obtained from the Palestinian Water Authority, including the years 2015 and 2016, from the Northern six districts of the West Bank. The water quality data were analyzed and matched with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and the Palestinian standards for drinking water quality. The findings of this study revealed that groundwater in the north of the West Bank comply with several drinking water requirements including total hardness, pH, and sodium and chloride content. Conversely, 18% of the samples exceed the limits for nitrate concentration. The fecal Coliforms and total Coliforms results show that 98.7% of the samples give no risk, but 1.3% of the samples give low risk, and no sample gives intermediate-to-high risks. The microbial and chemical pollution of groundwater is postulated to inadequate wastewater management, high use of fertilizers, and uncontrolled disposal of animal manure. Therefore, it is crucial to disinfect drinking water at the source of production before supply as an immediate action, followed by implementing pollution prevention measures.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-220
Author(s):  
G P Rauniar ◽  
A Mishra ◽  
D P Sarraf

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the world. Although gradually declining in most developed countries, the prevalence of tobacco use has increased among developing countries. Nicotine is an addictive chemical that is inhaled from the tobacco present in the cigarettes. It acts on neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors within the ventral tegmental area of the brain, causing dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens which reinforces nicotine-seeking behavior. Reward through the dopaminergic system is a common thread among many drugs of addiction. According to the National Anti-Tobacco Communication Campaign Strategy for Nepal smoking prevalence in Nepal is higher (38.4%) than the smoking prevalence in the world (29%). Smoking attributable annual deaths in Nepal is estimated at nearly 14,000 (9,000 male deaths and 5,000 female deaths) for population aged 35 and over. First-line pharmacotherapies for smoking cessation are varenicline, sustained-release bupropion and various forms of nicotine replacement therapy (i.e., patch, gum, lozenge, inhaler, nasal spray). These drugs can be used as monotherapy or combination therapy for the treatment of smoking cessation. After studying the outcome of many clinical trials and meta-analysis, it is concluded that cigarette smokers taking varenicline have the most success quitting smoking as compared with those taking other first-line pharmacotherapies for treating smoking cessation.  Health Renaissance 2014;12(3): 215-220


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Dahal ◽  
A Bharrarai ◽  
K Adhikari

Abstract Introduction Although the prevalence of smoking is higher among people with mental disorders compared to those without mental disorders, people with mental disorders are less successful for smoking cessation. This study examined the variation in characteristics of people with mental disorders across those who are current smokers and former smokers. Methodology This study used the Public Used Microdata File of the Canadian Community Health Survey 2012. (n = 25,113). People with any mental health disorder in the last 12 months were identified using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview instrument. Smoking status was classified based on self-report responses as: current, former, and never smoking. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between the characteristics of people with mental disorders and smoking cessation (vs continuation). Results Overall, the prevalence of current smoking, former smoking, and nonsmoker were 37.5%, 33.6%, and 28.8% respectively. Immigrants compared to Canadian-born (OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.3, 0.8) and those who were single (either widowed or divorced or separated or single) compared to married or living with a partner (OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.1, 0.6) were less likely to quit smoking. Similarly, less educated and young people were also less likely to quit smoking. Conclusions Young people, living alone, less educated, and immigrants are less successful to quit smoking. Findings indicate the social disparity in smoking cessation among people with mental disorders. This may have been related to the barriers in accessing smoking cessation support among this group. Key messages Findings underscore the disparity in smoking cessation among people with mental disorder. Implementation of tailored, personalized smoking cessation support may be helpful to address the challenges.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Guo ◽  
G. Quan

Healthy China 2030 aims to reduce the adult smoking rate from 27.7% in 2015 to 20% by 2030. Achieving this goal requires a review of the tobacco control measures introduced in China to date, the gaps that remain and the opportunities ahead. In 2008, the World Health Organization introduced six measures to reduce demand for tobacco called MPOWER. The progress China has made in implementing these measure varies: 1) monitor tobacco use and prevention policies. The surveillance on tobacco use has been rigorous, but the monitoring and evaluation of tobacco control policies needs to be strengthened; 2) protect people from tobacco use: pushes for national tobacco control legislation have stalled, but 18 subnational legislations have passed; 3) offer help to quit tobacco use. The accessibility and quality of cessation services needs to be improved; 4) warn about the dangers of tobacco. While there are no pictorial health warnings, tobacco control advocates have launched a series of anti-smoking media campaigns to inform the public; 5) enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship. Legal loopholes and poor enforcement remain challenges; 6) raise taxes on tobacco: cigarettes in China are relatively cheap and increasingly affordable, which demonstrates the need for further tobacco tax increases indexed to inflation and income. China maintains a tobacco monopoly that interferes with tobacco control efforts and fails to regulate tobacco products from the public health perspective. Effective MPOWER measures, which depend upon the removal of tobacco industry interference from policymaking, are key to achieving the goal set by Healthy China 2030.


2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 38-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles W. Warren ◽  
Veronica Lea ◽  
Juliette Lee ◽  
Nathan R. Jones ◽  
Samira Asma ◽  
...  

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the world; yet little is known about the levels or patterns of youth tobacco use on a global basis. The purpose of this paper is to focus on change in youth tobacco use using data from 100 sites that have conducted repeat Global Youth Tobacco Surveys (GYTS). The GYTS is a school-based survey that collects data from students aged 13–15 years using a standardized methodology for constructing the sample frame, selecting schools and classes, and processing data. GYTS is conducted in school classes using self-administered anonymous data collection. The GYTS sample produces representative, independent, cross-sectional estimates for each sampling frame. Of the 100 sites surveyed, 61 reported no change over time in prevalence of cigarette smoking, likewise in 50 of the 97 sites with data on use of other tobacco products there was no change. However, 34 sites reported an increase in other tobacco use. This appears to be attributed to waterpipe, an emerging trend in tobacco use. Evidence was found supporting the idea that tobacco use among adolescent girls is likely increasing. The global tobacco control effort continues to face many challenges in reversing the tobacco epidemic. Few countries have implemented comprehensive tobacco control legislation laid out by the World Health Organization. The few countries that have adopted some of these proven policies can serve as examples in achieving positive results in curbing the tobacco epidemic. (Global Health Promotion, 2009; Supp (2): pp. 38–90)


2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 393.1-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stella Aguinaga Bialous ◽  
Linda Sarna

Nurse scientists have made important contributions to evidence-based practice in tobacco control. This chapter will discuss recent tobacco control developments in the United States and globally, such as legislation giving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over tobacco products manufacturing, marketing and sales, the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and a brief review of research that has guided policy advances and nursing research in tobacco control. Suggestions for future research based on the update of the U.S. Public Health Services Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence clinical practice guideline will be explored. These developments offer nursing researchers a wealth of opportunities and challenges to advance nursing and tobacco control knowledge, address research gaps, and bring a unique nursing perspective to tobacco use prevention, reduction of exposure to secondhand smoke, tobacco dependence treatment, and tobacco control policies. Additionally, we will address how nursing scholarship can and should be supported by academic and organizational leadership to support nurses in realizing their full potential in mitigating the global epidemic of tobacco-caused death and disease.


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