According to a new study by researchers at New York University's Center for Drug Use and HIV Research, nearly one in five high school seniors have smoked hookah at least once in the past year. And that’s before they get to college and move in down the hall from that weird guy with the 311 poster.
The researchers also found that kids with higher socioeconomic statuses were more likely to smoke hookah, as were kids who lived in cities—when it’s the reverse for cigarette smoking.
In case you’re not in the know on hookah, it’s a type of water pipe popular in the Middle East and South Asia that you use to smoke flavored tobacco. Because the water and the flavor make the smoke more palatable, it can seem appealing even to people who would never smoke cigarettes.
But here’s the thing: Though hookah smoke seems less scary than cigarette smoke, research actually suggests that hookahs are even more damaging to health than are cigarettes. That’s because hookah smoke contains lots of the same toxins as cigarette smoke and can raise your risk for lung cancer, respiratory disease and all kinds of other health problems—and because a hookah smoking session lasts longer than the typical cigarette, and hookah lovers inhale more deeply, they may actually take in more smoke and toxins than a cig-smoker.
Smoke is smoke, and tobacco is tobacco, guys. Not cool or smart, no matter how you’re puffing.
- What’s Toxic in Hookah Smoke
- The Crazy Dangers of E-Cigarettes
- Exactly How Smoking Affects Your Body
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