Critical analysis of hookah smoking samples to formulate public health strategy to protect younger generations in Delhi, India
Background Hookah smoking is a traditional smoking in rural areas of India. But these days the hookah / pipe has entered urban metropolitan cities & is seen in restaurants & hotels with the hidden name of herbal hookah. Hookah owners claim that the hookah material does not contain tobacco or...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
European Publishing
2018-03-01
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| Series: | Tobacco Induced Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.journalssystem.com/tid/Critical-analysis-of-hookah-smoking-samples-to-formulate-public-health-strategy-to,84579,0,2.html |
| Summary: | Background
Hookah smoking is a traditional smoking in rural areas of India. But these days the hookah / pipe has entered urban metropolitan cities & is seen in restaurants & hotels with the hidden name of herbal hookah. Hookah owners claim that the hookah material does not contain tobacco or nicotine to get away from the clutches of legal provisions of cigarette & other tobacco control act. This is actually a new strategy of tobacco industry to remain in market & attract younger generation including females.
Methods
Multiple
raids conducted in different areas & samples of hookah materials collected
for analysis even though all the samples were claimed to be herbal & herbal
samples were shown to us during raids. The restaurant / hotel owners were
challaned under section 4 for smoking in public places. The duly sealed samples
sent to Govt of India labs for analysis for presence of tobacco / nicotine/
other hazardous chemicals. The samples tested at designated tobacco testing
laboratory.
Results
Out of 18 samples , 3 could not be tested in view of insufficient
quantity. Out of rest 15 samples all contained significant quantity of nicotine
though all were claimed to be herbal. This clarifies that the restaurants /
hotels are adding nicotine also inside the herbal samples in hidden manner with /without informing the customer.
Conclusions
It proves that most of the hookah smoking samples also contain
nicotine though claimed to be herbal & are violations of Tobacco control
act. It is difficult to conduct raids again & again & pick up samples for analysis. Therefore Govt should ban all kinds of hookah smoking to protect youth from the menace of tobaccos |
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| ISSN: | 1617-9625 |