According to a recent Time.com article, a study recently published in Pediatrics found almost one out of five high school seniors smoke hookahs (i.e., water pipes used to smoke specially made flavored tobacco).
Researchers at New York University surveyed 15,000 high school seniors at 130 public and private high schools across the country. According to the article, researchers focused on a sample of 5,540 students, inquiring about their hookah use between 2010 and 2012.
Researchers found that students of higher socioeconomic status were more likely to use hookah. According to study author Joseph Palamar, “Surprisingly, students with more educated parents or higher personal income are at high risk for use.”
The researchers acknowledged that smoking hookah generally occurs less frequently than cigarettes, but expressed concerns about “hookah pens,” which make smoking hookah easier. Similar to e-cigarettes, these devices are suspected to attract “curious” consumers, including non-cigarette smokers.
