Study: Hookah Use Up 40%, Mainly Among Young Adults
Although California's cigarette smoking rates have declined in recent years, a new American Journal of Public Health study by UC-San Diego and San Diego State University researchers found that hookah use increased by 40% statewide between 2005 and 2008. Previous studies have concluded that hookah smoking, which involves inhaling water-cooled tobacco, has many of the same health risks as cigarette smoking. The study found that hookah use is most prevalent among adults ages 18 to 24, men, whites and those with a college education.
- "Hookah Use Up Sharply in California" (Roan, "Booster Shots,"Â Los Angeles Times, 8/22).
- "Fewer Californians Smoking Cigarettes, but Hookah Use on the Rise" (Lin, California Watch, 8/23).