Some people argue that dokha is a part of the way of life here, that its use is so embedded in our culture that it should be left undisturbed and unchallenged.
But recent reports have put the practice of smoking dokha into sharp focus. It appears it is becoming ever more popular with young people, fuelled by its perceived street credibility and the fact that it is relatively affordable compared to traditional tobacco products. It also has a mystery that surrounds it, with information about its precise content being hazy to say the least.
This newspaper called for better regulation of dokha in a recent editorial. Separately, we asked TaskSpotting app users for their opinions on dokha and on whether they were concerned about its rising popularity among young people.
TaskSpotting describes itself as the region’s only advocate marketing platform and pitches our questions to its app community who typically engage with brands to create content, spread awareness and share feedback.
Only 1 in 20 respondents smoked dokha themselves but around 1 in 3 knew someone who smoked it. A majority of TaskSpotting users were concerned by the amount of young people smoking dokha, however, while almost four out of five supported taxing its use.