Waterpipe (Hookah) Smoking Among Youth and Women in Canada is New, not Traditional

Conclusion:
Peer influence, availability of flavored products and facile access to WP cafés are major factors in WP initiation. Ethno-cultural traditions play only a minor role. The assertion that cultural traditions and practice are inherent in WP smoking as implied by media and marketing was not supported by our findings. Contemporary use of WP is spreading among new non-traditional users. Lack of knowledge about the harms of WP smoking indicates a need for education and regulation to require packaging and health warning labels and restrictions on access, especially to minors.

Source: Nicotine and Tobacco Research - April 8, 2016 Category: Addiction Authors: Hammal, F., Wild, T. C., Nykiforuk, C., Abdullahi, K., Mussie, D., Finegan, B. A. Tags: Original Investigation Source Type: research