Spreading the word

Spreading the word

As the number of swine flu cases in the region rise, authorities are resorting to varied methods to promote awareness.

September 24, 2009 2:52 by Aarti Nagraj

But one thing that could lead to the spread of the infection, which has not yet caught public attention, is shisha smoking.

“There’s a heightened risk of getting TB, herpes and infections like that [through shisha smoking],” Qasim Choudhory, a youth worker at a NHS Stop Smoking Service in the UK told the BBC recently. “Now you know swine flu is on the top of the agenda right now – there’s no kind of direct correlation, but at time when we’re up on our hygiene, it’s not the best type of activity to be taking part in.”

Health officials in Dubai and Abu Dhabi could not be reached for comment.

Do you think that shishas can help spread the flu? Have you been avoiding smoking shishas since the virus hit the region?

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Tags: awareness, Bahrain, gcc, Oman, shisha, spreading, swine flu, UAE