 1000 cigarettes. The minimum import duty on waterpipe tobacco was 6 Qatari Riyals per kilogram in 2014, this was increased to 12 Qatari Riyals per kilogram in 2016 49 and to 24 Qatari Riyals in 2018, because of tobacco taxation set at 100% 34. Although government efforts are underway, further urgent action can lead to improving the situation.
We found that 83.3% of waterpipe smokers reported that waterpipe smoking is harmful, however 39.3% of the sample considered that waterpipe smoking is less harmful than cigarette smoking. In a systematic review, a large number of studies found that most people 10 perceived waterpipe smoking as less harmful than cigarette smoking and more socially acceptable than cigarette smoking in general. This is consistent with the findings of previous studies in Qatar reporting that waterpipe smokers perceive waterpipe to be safer than cigarettes or have insufficient knowledge about its effects 9,50. For instance, in our study only 42.2% of waterpipe smokers agreed that smoking tobacco causes stroke and only 69.2% reported that it causes heart attack. Given the health risks of waterpipe smoking, health campaigns should be delivered to the public to correct misconceptions that contribute toward a reduced perception of harm about tobacco use in general and waterpipe smoking.
In our sample, 75.5% believed that smokers can stop smoking if they want to. However, evidence suggests the opposite, by confirming that waterpipe smokers have difficulty in quitting 19,51. Among a sample of 268 waterpipe smokers, 86.5% believed they could quit waterpipe at any time, however 60% of the participants had been unsuccessful in their previous attempts 52. In another study, 47.5% of the participants were very confident that they could quit waterpipe smoking at any time, however they did not have the intention to quit 9. Surprisingly, in our study females more than males were recommending waterpipe to their friends or to other people. This also highlights the association between the positive attitude toward smoking and waterpipe use 4,10. Urgently, mass media and awareness campaigns are needed to address the addictive and deleterious health consequences of waterpipe smoking to improve knowledge and to change attitudes towards waterpipe smoking since it is becoming a socially normative behavior as part of leisure events among friends and families 9,51.

Strengths and limitations
The major strength of this study was the use of data from a population-based study with a large sample size and a high response rate. Any form of tobacco use is a sensitive topic that many are reluctant to talk about, however the use of self-administered questionnaires helped resolve this issue. One limitation of this study is its focus on individuals aged ≥18 years attending governmental universities and working institutions which might limit the generalizability of these findings to other populations. Due to not adjusting for clusters, it is possible that bias may affect the magnitude and direction of the results.

CONCLUSIONS
Waterpipe smoking is considerably high in Qatar (8.3%). Waterpipe use should receive special consideration in Qatar's overall tobacco control program. The current situation in Qatar warrants further implementation of effective strategies to reduce waterpipe smoking with dual and multiple usage of other tobacco products. These strategies could include the introduction of more stringent regulations and legislations specific to waterpipe advertising and marketing, educating the community about its health risks, and designing tobacco control programs for women and for poly-tobacco product users. Compared to earlier years, to date Qatar has been more comprehensively implementing FCTC measures. However, dissemination and implementation of waterpipe preventive measures and regulations deserve due attention by decision makers in the country.Story Behind this Recipe
They're full of calories, but even when I think I'll just eat one, I end up eating all of it.
Don't you hate it when you're left with egg whites? Here's a delicious way to use them up. My favourite financiers. They're puffy with little elevated centres.You'd like to try on our glasses? Simply upload a photo of yourself or take one with your webcam.
The Persol PO 649 24/31 sunglasses for men are a classy blend of retro chic and contemporary confidence. The full-rim tortoise shell frame harks back to the mid 20th century, while the famous silver arrows at the hinges lend the sunglasses a dashing contemporary touch. The nose bridge has a fashionable keyhole shape, and the green lenses are made out of high-quality glass.
For over 90 years Persol has been synonymous with fine Italian hand work and a beautiful blend of form and function. The models are easily recognisable thanks to the famous arrow symbol and the retro charm that brings earlier epochs to mind. The Meflecto System, developed at the end of the 1930s, helped create the first widely available flexible temples which ensure a comfortable fit for every face. Persol is a cult label that should not be overlooked.
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Product number: 64825.Healing With Art And Style
A week ago Sunday took me to the Wynkoop Brewing Company to an art exhibit by Lindy Lyman HERE. Flourishing Forth, The Colorado Years 1974-2013 is a retrospective of her work in painting, mixed media and sculputre. I was informed of this colorful and uplifting exhibition by Carol Markel, the remarkable blogger, milliner and artist of Femme et Fleur HERE. Lindy was a student of Carol’s husband Richard Cramer at Elmira College, graduating in the class of 1967.
However, as the week unfolded, I was overcome by an unexpected force that grabbed me with a now unfamiliar strength that was surprising and powerful. Anniversary dates are known to be difficult, but somehow I felt that I had everything under control and that by keeping busy, I would avoid the painful memories of Aprils past. After all, it’s been two years since Nelson’s death, and shouldn’t I be immune from intensity by now? Immobilization is not my favorite place to be, but that’s where I found myself intermittently over the past week leading up to April 20th. I felt as though I was sinking in quicksand and the only part of myself above the ground were my hands grasping to find something to hang unto. But really, what I needed to find was something internal to pull me up and out. So I sat with the stillness, leaden.
A quiet desperation took over my days, which frightened me with its relentless weight. So off to yoga I went, hoping to soothe myself or at least find reprieve from the grasp of unwanted emptiness and the feeling of being lost. Lost without a path ahead. Was this a fork in the road or was I taking a step back into the depths of the abyss? Loss can only be digested in small servings. Otherwise we would die from the shock of it. I think about those in Boston, and other parts of the world, who are devastated and beginning their journey through the wilderness of grief, and I mourn for them. I weep for them.
I felt wooden and unprotected. A tree with no bark, exposed to the elements, the cold wind blowing in from the north that assaulted the fresh and newly formed blossoms ready to open to the world. Were my roots deep enough to hold me in place during the storm that was not predicted; the weatherwoman within had been caught off guard. Something more to let go of.
As often happens when I’m looking for an answer, through the miracle of google, I found Pat Betram’s blog HERE, and a blanket of comforting relief changed the tone of the week and offered me self acceptance. Her words resonated with the confusion that I was attempting to deny, but I now knew would be more helpful to radically embrace. The other amazing fact is that Pat is from Colorado, she is an excellent writer, and I have found a new blog to follow.
Now that the anniversary has passed, I reflect back on how my week began with art, meeting new and interesting people, and the rich beauty that entered my life on a Sunday afternoon. I can go back to that place in my thoughts, after another passage through darkness. I can feel that those blossoms opening up to the world have not frozen. I have been changed from loving and having been loved deeply, and that is what brings me back every time I descend into feelings of hopelessness and longing.
I often think about how I launched my blog under the umbrella of style and and the composition of outfits, and how this has helped me live out loud with caregiving, death, grieving and transformation. I am so grateful that have I found all of you, because I have felt so much support and caring from all who read and comment on SC. Perhaps those who blog about style and aging, or are interested in this topic no matter their age or gender, embody the characteristics of compassion and empathy. Style truly does heal, and I couldn’t have found a more perfect crowd to hang out with, no matter the circumstances of my life. You continue to be a lifeline and I thank you from the bottom of my Style Crone heart.
Black/red fabric hat – Britgitte NYC, black/white striped jacket – consignment store in Florida, vintage red fabric gloves- estate sale, all on black background.
I’m linking up late to the party at Patti’s Visible Monday HERE at Not Dead Yet Style, which has become a meeting place for all who want to proclaim visibility.
29 Comments
Oh Judith, I am so sorry that you were gripped by the claws of grief, and thrust into that dark place of emptiness and loss. You describe the emotional place you found yourself in so poetically