Hookah is fast becoming a popular alternative to cigarettes among high school seniors, a new study finds.
Though recent studies have suggested a significant decline in cigarette smoking among teenagers, they don't really indicate a reduction in tobacco usage among similar age groups. That's the finding of a new study conducted by researchers from New York University. The study highlighted that American adolescents are quickly turning to alternatives such as hookahs, cigars and various smokeless tobacco products to fulfill their nicotine needs.
Researchers examined the data of 5,540 students who were part of the Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey. The students were of an average age of 18 years and asked about their hookah usage between 2010 and 2012. The findings revealed that 1 in 5 high school seniors reported using hookah during that time.
"What we find most interesting is that students of higher socioeconomic status appear to be more likely to use hookah," said lead author Joseph J. Palamar in a press statement. "Surprisingly, students with more educated parents or higher personal income are at high risk for use. We also found that hookah use is more common in cities, especially big cities. So hookah use is much different from cigarette use, which is more common in non-urban areas."
The current study was published online in the Pediatrics. The project was not funded by any external source.
