No abstract

The recent global increase in argileh use represents the modern renaissance of an old public health threat and a new tobacco epidemic. This study examined argileh smoking knowledge and attitudes in a sample of university students in Beirut as determinants of argileh smoking. Data were collected cross-sectionally through self-administered questionnaires from 416 students at the American University of Beirut through stratified cluster sampling. The proportion of ever-smokers in this study was 43%, compared with the 30% reported 4 years ago. A total of 28.3% of the surveyed students were current argileh smokers, and the average initiation age was 16 years. Compared with argileh smokers, significantly greater proportions of nonsmokers had positive attitudes about argileh banning and more accurate knowledge about argileh. Argileh smoking among Lebanese young is on the rise. Students demonstrated partial knowledge and moderate to favorable attitudes concerning argileh smoking. Possible public health interventions are discussed in light of the social and cultural context of argileh use to neutralize this emerging global public health threat.

Alike many developing countries, Lebanon lacks a national wastewater management strategy that can effectively protect public health and environmental quality. This has led the local communities and municipalities to plan and implement their own arrangements for wastewater treatment systems. However, most municipalities still lack the human and financial resources, management capabilities, and environmental awareness necessary to implement wastewater management in an environmentally sound manner. As such, the effectiveness of these systems, particularly with regard to the quality of the treated effluent, warrants evaluation. Accordingly, a performance evaluation of the treatment/disposal systems, taking three villages in Al-Chouf Caza in Lebanon as a case study, was carried out. The conducted field work, visual assessment, and laboratory analyses of effluent discharges revealed that the existing systems for wastewater treatment in the three villages are either not properly functioning or operational but ineffective and, consequently, hardly achieve any treatment higher than primary. Although developing countries are being encouraged to implement wastewater treatment systems with the promise of financial aid from developed nations, it is important that local conditions are considered carefully to make full use of any aid. It is very crucial to take into account the economic status of the community and the municipality in question. There is no point in adopting the most advanced technology for wastewater treatment if there is no mechanism to ensure maximum efficiency.