Hookah Smoking Increases Risk of Cigarette Smoking in Adolescents

Hookah smoking increases the risk of cigarette smoking subsequently in adolescents, according to a team of researchers at Dartmouth College and University of Pittsburgh. 2,541 young adults aged 15-23 years were part of the study. It was found that teens who smoked water pipe tobacco were at increased risk of trying cigarette smoking after two years by 19 percent.

Samir Soneji, PhD, a tobacco regulatory control researcher at Dartmouth and lead author on the study advised Food and Drug Administration regulation of all tobacco products, to restrict manufacturer's ability to flavor, package, and market their non-cigarette tobacco products in ways designed specifically to appeal to adolescents and young adults, so that onset of cigarette smoking can be curbed.

The study is published online in JAMA Pediatrics.

Source-Medindia