Jump to full article: physorg.com, 2009-11-10
Intro: Hookah pipe smoking has gained a foothold with Florida teens, according to a new University of Florida study, which shows 11 percent of high school students and 4 percent of middle school students have tried it.
The findings were presented today (Nov. 9) at the American Public Health Association's annual meeting in Philadelphia and appear in the November issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The study was conducted in collaboration with the Florida Department of Health.
Rooted in Middle Eastern culture, hookah pipes burn charcoal and tobacco, also known as shisha. Air is drawn through the tobacco and into the pipe, where it passes through water.
Hookah smokers widely but mistakenly believe that the pipe is a harmless alternative to other forms of tobacco smoking, said lead researcher Tracey Barnett, an assistant professor in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions' department of behavioral science and community health.
"Users tend to think smoking with a hookah is safe because they believe the water in the pipe acts as a filter," Barnett said. "Many actually don't think that shisha has tobacco, while others feel it's a more pure form of tobacco that doesn't have as many chemicals, although there's really no reason to believe this."
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