University students think hookah smoking is safer than cigarette smoking says a University of South Florida study.
This study aimed at determining the prevalence of hookah use and describing social and behavioral factors associated with hookah smoking among university students in a large urban university in Florida.
500 undergraduate and graduate students evaluated lifetime use and current use of hookah smoking. Researchers found that 54.4 percent of students had used hookah during their lifetime, and 16.3 percent of students had used hookah use within the past 30 days.
Hookah use was significantly associated with cigarette smoking and hookah ownership but not with alcohol use. Findings also suggest hookah is perceived as a safer alternative to cigarette smoking. Almost 30 percent of those who never smoked hookah reported they would consider smoking hookah in the future.
Article: Prevalence, Knowledge, and Practices of Hookah Smoking Among University Students, Florida, 2012, Jaime Corvin, PhD, MSPH, CPH,