Abstract:
The Study of Marketing Strategies and Consumption of “Hookah” Tobacco among Thai Adolescents has three objectives; 1) to study the consumption of hookah among Thai adolescents living in Bangkok and suburban areas and examine hookah marketing mix (4Ps) 2) study hookah smoking problems and factors which support hookah consumption and 3) surveillance on hookah use. The design of this study was cross-sectional and was a qualitative study. Total participants was 783, consisting of 217 participants in qualitative section and 566 in quantitative section. Participants consisted of 3 education levels; 36.1% of pre-university students, 10.9% of vocational students and 52.9 % of university students. The overall findings showed that 81% were familiar with hookah and 34% were regular smokers of both hookah and cigarette, among these, another 15% wanted to try hookah. Alcohol outlets were primary source of hookah information and 57% knew hookah are sold or serviced in alcohol outlets. The average frequency of smoking was once a week, 90% smoked with friends, paid 201 up to 300 Baht for a pot, 88% knew where and how to buy hookah pot (cost started from 1,500 BHT) and hookah tobacco (cost started from 300 BHT per box) and 90% admitted hookah was popular among teenagers. Favourite places to smoke hookah were alcohol outlets and alcopop shops. It was found out that drinking or visiting alcohol venues increased hookah smoking, 51% decided to have a smoke if alcohol outlets were near. For hookah myth, 47% believed hookah was not addictive, 62% believed smoking hookah was a personal pleasure and harmless, 69% believed the most suitable occasion to smoke hookah was in a party, 44% believed hookah was herbal, 68% believed it was made from fruit, 56% said hookah was less toxic than cigarette and 66% believed hookah was centuries-old Arabian culture which was harmless. The result also showed that hookah smokers in this study are multiple tobacco product consumers. The most important factor was peer influence, supporting factors are 17 myths involving hookah such as hookah is nicotine-free and harmless, risk factors are drinking and cigarette-smoking behaviour which increased hookah consumption. Health risk behaviours among hookah smokers were drinking, visiting alcohol venues and easy access to hookah service. Males and females had different perception toward hookah, males smoked hookah as a recreational activity which accompany drinking behaviour whereas females believed hookah was appropriate for females because hookah was better than cigarette. Among Thai smokers, we found both Buddhist and Islamic adolescents smoked. Islamic adolescents exposed to more risk than Buddhist adolescents since Islamic communities and families openly accepted hookah smoking as a social gathering and as a tradition, thus Islamic adolescents more frequently smoked hookah, their onset smoking age was 12 years old. Although illegal, hookah trade flourished in Thailand and access to both service and sales was easy. There were 4 trading places where hookah service and sales can be found; 1) alcohol outlets 2) shopping centers 3) market fairs and 4) through the internet.
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