title: Midwakh/dokha tobacco use in the Middle East: much to learn.
abstract: Many alternative tobacco products (ATPs), such as hookahs, have grown in popularity and use beyond their locale of origin and are therefore becoming a significant global public health concern. This article provides an overview of an under-reported and understudied ATP, dokha, which is smoked in a midwakh pipe. It describes the state of tobacco control in the Arabian Gulf region where midwakh smoking appears to be most common, the history of midwakh and dokha use, and what is known about midwakh smoking from the published literature. On the basis of the stark lack of data on midwakh use, we suggest priority areas to focus future research. Preliminary data and observations from health providers and the public health sector suggest that midwakh smoking may pose challenges to the tobacco control efforts in the Arabian Gulf region. If it is emerging as a new ATP outside this region, there could be a significant impact on tobacco control strategies globally.
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Georgia, The Center for Health Research, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vupputuri
authors.affiliation: United Arab Emirates University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Al Ain, UAE.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hajat
authors.affiliation: United Arab Emirates University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Al Ain, UAE.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Houqani
authors.affiliation: United Arab Emirates University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Al Ain, UAE.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.affiliation: Gulf Medical University, Research Division, Ajman, UAE.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sreedharan
authors.affiliation: United Arab Emirates University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Al Ain, UAE Cancer Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Heriot-Watt University, School of Life Sciences, Dubai, UAE.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Crookes
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: New York University/Abu Dhabi Public Health Research Center, Abu Dhabi, UAE Department of Population Health, Medicine and Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weitzman
mesh_terms: D018912:Arabs / Q000523:psychology*; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology*; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000208:ethnology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000009:adverse effects*
keywords: Global health; Non-cigarette tobacco products; Prevention; Priority/special populations