Narghile representation and promotion on social media can standardize its use and pose public health problems

Articles with hashtags, such as #hookah or #shisha, on social media platforms, can describe its use in an extremely positive way despite its serious health risks, suggests a new study. The findings, published in the journal Health Education and Behavior, suggest that the representation and promotion of hookah on social media can standardize its use and pose public health problems.

A team of researchers from Florida International University, University of Wisconsin The University of Miami, the Syrian Center for Tobacco Studies and the University of Pittsburgh selected 279 out of 11,517 positions Hookah or shisha tagged messages in four days

They found that 99.6% had positive feelings about the hookah and only one post (0.4%) mentioned its adverse health effects.

"More and more evidence suggests that hookah smoking can lead to nicotine addiction and many other diseases known as cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases." This study represents an important step in the development of the drug. The researchers also found that 10 percent of all posts were using the #HookahAddiction hashtag, signaling that nicotine addiction is not an added value for the nicotine addiction. use of data from this social platform. perceived as a health risk that would discourage potential users, but is rather called ironically or as a "badge of honor".

Researchers commented that policymakers and others should explore approaches to reducing the number of promotional positions, for example, creating campaigns to counter sell positive themes on social media.

"These results may inform the design of future tobacco control media campaigns aimed at counteracting the normalization of hookah use on social media." Source: Shutterstock
Source: IANS

Published: June 30, 2018 1:30 PM Updated: June 30, 2018 1:32 PM