CHAPTER ONE

BACKGROUND OF STUDY

1.0 Introduction

 This chapter comprises the background, statement of the problem, research objectives, specific objectives, and research questions, significance of study, scope of study, empirical review and definition of terms.

1.1 Background of the study

Tobacco smoking is one of the most atrocious problems in the world today. It accounted for 100 million deaths in the 20th century, and this outweighs the deaths from World War I and II together (Eriksen et al., 2015). Water pipes are the first new tobacco product of the 21th century. It originated in the Middle East and it is currently spreading throughout Europe and the United States (TREND, 2007). The history of drug use and social control began with opiates and cocaine, two of the first drugs to be legally controlled in the world. Opium is derived from the poppy plant, which today is grown mostly in Asia and the Middle East. Shisha smoking also known by a variety of names depending on the country such as Narghile, Hubble bubble, Ghoza, and Hookah. The use of shisha is a 400-year-old method of smoking in which tobacco is passed through a water pipe before being inhaled (Maziak et al., 2015). Historically speaking, shisha is originally from India (Chattopadhyay, 2000).

Generally, shisha consists of head, body, hose and water bowl. The most common type of tobacco used in the shisha is the Mussel which is sweet and some added flavor (Shihadeh, 2004). Shisha smoking is the leading cause of preventable mortality and morbidity among youths today. A person who smokes one pack per day loses a day of life for every week they smoke (O’Flaherty, 2005). One of the most commonly known smoking-related illnesses is cardiovascular disease, which takes the life of a woman every minute.

According to WHO (2015) deaths caused by smoking will rise to 8 million by 2030, which will be worse in developing countries. Studies have shown that the prevalence of shisha smoking among Middle Eastern Mediterranean youths ranges from 6%-34%). The lower age of shisha smokers and the popularity in youths have become a major concern as they take it as a hobby (Tamimet al., 2011). Approximately one fourth of the population smokes with nearly 443,000 deaths yearly from smoking-related illnesses. The World Health Organization pronounced North Africa, East Mediterranean region and South- East Asia to have the highest rate of shisha smoking. The practice is also spreading fast among the youth of North America, Brazil and Europe at an alarming rate (WHO 2015). In the United States, evidence suggests a gradual rise in the prevalence of shisha smoking among young adults (CDC, 2017). Despite these harmful effects, however, there has been a recent, alarming increase in the popularity of shisha use, particularly in Arabic countries such as Kuwait, Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon where lifetime rates of shisha smoking range from 20% to 70% (Maziak et al., 2005).

In most parts of the world, cigarette smoking is considered the most common form of tobacco use, though shisha is becoming extensively used worldwide with high prevalence in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Shisha smoke delivers high concentrations of carbon monoxide, nicotine, tar, and heavy metals at levels that are as high as or higher than a cigarette smoke and which can be toxic to humans, especially with chronic exposure. Shisha smoking has been associated with different health problems like oral and lung cancer, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases (Waziry et al., 2017). Furthermore, shisha is now gaining popularity in many western countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and also South East Asia (Brockman et al., 2012). Shisha is typically smoked In social places such as cafes, restaurants and commonly smoked by urban youths, university and college students (Neergaard et al., 2017). Shisha being a way of tobacco smoking has emerged as a global public health concern and has been as the emerging deathly trend (American Lung Association., 2017). In Africa, youth and adults, rich and poor, rural and urban people abuse drugs and most common in our society today is alcohol alongside with shisha (United Nations Drug Control Program, 1998). They add that drug abuse is more common among men than women but the situation is changing rapidly as substance abuse among women is less visible and more private. It is noted that younger males prefer beer than women, younger drinkers; educated people and those with low illness prefer wine. Males, heavy drinkers, less educated people, middle aged and older people and those who are at a higher risk for major diseases prefer liquor. In Cameroon, drugs such as alcohol, Tobacco smoke through shisha and to some extent; other drugs like Marijuana are used by young age group of the population. Drug use and abuse increases the chance of having many problems at early age like risky sexual practices that causes failure in academic performance. This affects the social, economic, and political aspects of the country directly and indirectly. Although the issue of Education in adolescents and drug use are closely interlinked. Many researches are done in order to tackle the problem.

A previous survey by the American Heart Association found only 46% of youth could identify cardiovascular disease as a leading cause of death for youth, with younger women among those surveyed having the least knowledge about their disease risks and females shisha smokers are at higher risk than female non-smokers of developing cancers of the lung, cervix, mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, and bladder, along with increased risk for developing heart disease and stroke (Hardesty &Trupp, 2015). A similar study was carried out in Malaysia which was aimed at determining the prevalence of shisha smoking and associated factors among Malaysian university students. A total number of 200 participants took part in the study and based on the knowledge about shisha, 48.5% of the participants mentioned that shisha is less harmful than cigarette, 66% said shisha is less addictive than cigarette, 58.5% mentioned that the water jar in shisha filters filters many of the toxins out. Also, 59.5% mentioned that they is almost no tar in shisha tobacco smoking, 53.5% mentioned that they is almost no nicotine in shisha smoking and a majority of participants said that is 77.5% said that shisha smoking can increase the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. (Chattopadhyay, 2000).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

According to (WHO, 2008)., tobacco smoking is the most important modifiable risk factor for premature deaths in the world causing 5.4 million deaths every year and it is expected that by 2030 an estimated 7.4 to 9.7 million deaths will be attributed to tobacco smoking. It is documented that shisha smoking is common among the youths in high school, college and university students (Neergaardet al., 2017). The toxins from the smoke of shisha contain high level of nicotine and tar as compared to other types of tobacco smoking. These toxins are a risk factor to health conditions like lung cancer, coronary heart disease, respiratory problems, oral cancer (Cobb et al., 2010). Despite the restrictions and warning put by the government on shisha (Journal du Cameroon) published on the 22-11-2021, shisha smoking is still trending in Cameroon and especially in the Molyko Community. The uses of drugs have made students to be so arrogant towards teachers, this led to the death of two secondary school teachers in Cameroon (Ministry of Secondary Education, 2020).To this end and judging from the problems above, prompted the researcher to carry out a research to assess youth’s knowledge on the consequences of shisha smoking in the Molyko Community                          

1.3 Research Objectives

1.3.1 General Objective

Assessing Youths perception on shisha smoking and factors influencing it use in the Molyko Community, Buea.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

1) To assess youth’s perception on shisha in the Molyko community

2) To investigate youth’s perception on the factors influencing shisha smoking in the Molyko community.

3) To ascertain youth’s perception on the consequences of smoking shisha in the Molyko Community

1.4 Research Questions

1) What perception do youths have on shisha in the Molyko Community?

2) What perception do youths have on the factors influencing shisha smoking in the Molyko community?

3) What perception do youths have on the consequences of shisha smoking in the Molyko community?