How Bad is Shisha for you? [Most Recent Figures]

I usually don't put personal posts here. But here's an interesting one (also, it's super interesting how I found it on Facebook Guardian read!)

 

Here's the gist of the article findings: 

The volume of smoke inhaled in an hour-long shisha session is estimated to be the equivalent of smoking between 100 and 200 cigarettes.  

The estimated findings show that, on average, a smoker will inhale 1/2 a litre of smoke per cigarette, while a shisha smoker can take in anything from just under 1/6 of a litre to 1 litre of smoke per inhale.

- World Health Organization 

Studies led by independent researchers at the Royal University of Saudi Arabia have shown that shisha smoke is 30 times less concentrated in chemicals than cigarette smoke. 

While about 5,000 chemicals have been identified so far in cigarette smoke, chemists and pharmacologists from Saudi Arabia only found 142 chemicals in shish smoke.
- Dr Kamal Chaouachi, a tobacco expert who teaches at Paris IX University

Here's the full article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/aug/22/shisha-smoking-how-bad-is-it


Further reading [A Journal of Public Health Article 2009]:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/58352477706011t0/


Also, someone needs to make an info graphic version of this. :).


Thanks Kevin for the info on this!

How to Prepare Yourself to be a #Social #Strategist from #College

As Social Media is a rising platform for marketing, it is also an increasingly popular career path for many graduating students, but what does it take to become a social strategist and how can you prepare early?

Information from an interesting infographic by Valtier Creative:

http://mashable.com/2011/09/24/social-media-career/

Here are some things to look out for as you begin/ finish up your college career:

1. What major should I be?

- 46% of Social Strategists hold a Communication and 40% hold Marketing degrees.

- 58% of existing Social Strategists say that what makes them successful is that they are multi-disciplinary and can wear many hats. i.e. it could be a good idea for a Liberal Arts education.

Take your pick.

2. Be familiar with your numbers, and argue it with a story

- One of the most important aspect in becoming a good social strategist is the skill in measuring and reporting ROI (as well as producing them of course.) 

What to do in college:

So some great courses to take if they aren't already in your requirement list, are statistics, introduction to business management, etc. They will also help you get used to very basic but useful tools like excel.

Other courses such as Logic and Reasoning (philosophy), or creative writing will help you make better reports + proposals!

3. Work on your leadership and social skills

- To be a social strategist, you must be able to manage a team, work with agencies, external/internal stakeholders, as well as be able to teach others via workshops and training. 

What to do in college:

Get some experience via student groups, or start your own business while you're in college! (Or take classes like Organizational Behavior, or intro to public relations/corporate relations!)

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