Comparing cigarette smoking knowledge and attitudes among smokers and non-smokers

International audienceSmoking prevalence in Lebanon was reported by the World Health Organization to be 43%, which is among the highest rates in the Arab nation. The objectives of this study were to assess cigarette smoking knowledge and attitude among smokers and non-smokers using validated scales in the Lebanese general population and evaluate their association with current cigarette smoking; a secondary objective is to assess the dose effect relationship of knowledge and attitude with cumulative smoking. This cross-sectional took place between May and December 2018, and enrolled a sample of 2623 participants, representative from all Lebanese governorates. A questionnaire about knowledge of the harmful effects of tobacco and attitude toward smoking bans retrieved from other studies was used to collect data. Male gender (ORa = 0.75), having a low monthly income (ORa = 1.56) and a higher passive smoking score (ORa = 1.25), were significantly associated with higher odds of being current smokers. Higher knowledge score (ORa = 0.97) and positive attitude toward smoking ban score (ORa = 0.94) were significantly associated with lower odds of being current smokers. In addition, increased age (ß = 15.21) and higher passive smoking score (ß = 26.58) were significantly associated with higher cumulative cigarette smoking. More positive attitude toward smoking ban score (ß = - 6.51) and having a university degree (ß = - 68.35) were significantly associated with lower cumulative cigarette smoking. Higher knowledge about the smoking-related health problems and better attitudes toward smoking ban were observed among non-smokers compared to smokers. It is important to increase awareness campaigns and to propose effective interventions to put in place an adequate culture of smoking cessation among the general population

Lebanese pita extracts with presence of trace elements: hazard assessment

International audienceAmong Trace Elements (TE) that can be present in food, some are known to be toxic and must be monitored. Regarding food safety, it is relevant to study the case of the pita, since it represents a large part of the daily diet of the Lebanese population. In a previous study, the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) analyzed the presence of several TE (arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, mercury, nickel and lead) in white Lebanese pita. Although the toxicity of each TE is known individually, it is important to test the toxicity of the mixture of TE, present in the bread, in order to check the presence of "cocktail" effects between TE, especially synergism