title: Smoking, awareness of smoking-associated health risks, and knowledge of national tobacco legislation in Gaza, Palestine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess university students' extent of smoking, knowledge of smoking health risks, and awareness of existing national anti-smoking laws.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-administered questionnaire was employed across 7 universities (1,104 students, equal proportions of males and females) located in Gaza Strip, Palestine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 55% of participants reported ever smoking, 31% were current cigarette smokers, and 36% were 'strictly' (only) narghile (water pipe) smokers. Mean age of smoking initiation was 17 +/- 3.15 years. Smokers had less knowledge of smoking associated health risks than nonsmokers. Students' knowledge of existing anti-smoking laws was generally low (11.3-25.5%), and significantly more smokers had knowledge about existing laws (ban of advertisement of smoking, ban of smoking in public places, and ban of selling cigarettes to minors) than non-smokers. About 81% of current smokers tried to quit smoking at least once during their life, 53% felt ready to quit smoking if cessation assistance was provided, 17% were not ready to quit, and 30% were reluctant/felt unsure if they were ready to quit. Most students (94.3%) reported that there were no smoking cessation centres in Palestine, or did not know if such centres existed. Males were associated with almost all categories of smoking (e.g. smoking both cigarettes and narghile, or smoking narghile only).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a lack of knowledge about the existing national anti-smoking legislation among university students in Gaza, Palestine. Smoking cessation centres also seem non-existent in Gaza. Multi-level interventions and actions are required by policy makers, educators and non-governmental agencies to prevent smoking among university students in Gaza, and to educate them on tobacco cessation counselling, on the dangers of tobacco use, and about effective stress management strategies to help them to cope with stressors. Smoking cessation interventions are required to address both cigarette and narghile use. Efforts need to be invested in ensuring compliance with legislation and for follow-up activities to enforce the anti-smoking laws through coordinated actions across ministries and departments.
authors.forename: Reem T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Abu Shomar
authors.forename: Ihab K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Lubbad
authors.forename: Walid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: El Ansari
authors.forename: Issam A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Al-Khatib
authors.forename: Hatem J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Alharazin
mesh_terms: D001364:Awareness; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008877:Middle East; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution