Hookah Use Among U.S. High School Students

Cigarette use is declining among U.S. adolescents, but the decline is being offset by increasing use of hookahs (inhaling smoke from tobacco- or nontobacco-based products after it passes through water), cigars, and smokeless tobacco. Investigators used data from the 2010–2012 Monitoring the Future surveys to examine determinants of hookah use among 5540 high school seniors.

Overall, 18% of respondents reported hookah use in the past year, including 6% of never-smokers and 25% of those who had only smoked once or twice. Girls and blacks (but not Hispanics) were less likely to report hookah use than boys or whites, respectively (adjusted odds ratios, 0.81 and 0.27). Increased odds of hookah use was associated with moderate and high levels of p…