The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objectives: The waterpipe, an ancient tobacco use method, is witnessing a revival all over the world and particularly among Arab communities. Preliminary evidence indicates that this tobacco use method shares some dependence features with cigarettes, but has some unique ones as well. In this presentation an overview of what we know about waterpipe dependence and its implication for the development of intervention strategies will be given

Methods: Epidemiological, clinico-behavioral, and anthropological research has been conducted at the Syrian Center for Tobacco Studies to look at dependence among waterpipe users. This research will be summarized.

Results: The waterpipe is associated with some classical dependence features such as continuing use and inability to quit despite health and material concerns related to use. Although far from being conclusive, some specific dependence features related to the waterpipe include the social dimension of use and the progress from social to individual use patterns that characterizes early and advanced stages of dependence. Also clinical laboratory methods indicate that features such as craving and withdrawal symptoms are less pronounced among waterpipe smokers compared to cigarettes. These and currently ongoing studies to characterize dependence among waterpipe smokers will pave the way towards the development of effective cessation interventions for waterpipe smokers.