About a quarter of college women start smoking hookah tobacco for the first time during their first year in university, according to a recent study. The given study also suggests a probable link to alcohol and drug use. It was found out that more alcohol women consumed, the more likely they were to try hookah tobacco, while those women who smoked marijuana experimented with hookah more frequently.

Scientists declare that the findings are worrying since hookah smoking rates have raised significantly among youngsters over the last years, with several studies placing it on the same level with cigarette smoking. A lot of college students consider that hookah smoking is safer than regular cigarettes, despite the fact that hookah use was associated with similar illnesses caused by cigarette smoking. “The popularity of hookah smoking, together with the fact that college fresh year students are more likely to demonstrate risky behavior, could lead to a possible public health issue,” stated chief author Robyn L. Fielder.

Appearing for the first time in ancient Persia, hookah smoking is nowadays a very popular social activity during which smokers inhale flavored tobacco through a water pipe. The tobacco mixture used in shisha differs in composition, with some including flavorings and additives, as cherry, mint, honey melon, peach and watermelon that satisfy diverse smokers’ preferences. Hookah smokers are exposed to the same level of nicotine as cigarette lovers. In the study, 485 first-year female college students concluded a survey about their precollege hookah smoking, followed by a year online surveys about their experience with this smoking product. Of all 345 surveyed who did not present any data about precollege hookah use, 25% smoked hookah at least once during their first year of college.

Mr. Fielder stated that these findings demonstrate strong link between hookah and other tobacco products consumption, but their study is the first to show that alcohol is generally related to hookah initiation. "Young people usually overestimate the degree to which their peers use any of these substances, and because it is essential to be like one’s peers. Our study suggests prevention measures should target all product consumption, including hookah, alcohol and marijuana in order to improve public health,” Mr. Fielder added.

By Sara Norton, Staff Writer.
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