Affluent Teens More Likely to Use Hookah

Nearly 1 in 5 high school seniors has smoked tobacco through a hookah, or water pipe, a new survey finds. Cigarette smokers and those with more spending money were more likely to use a hookah than other teens. Researchers used data from a national poll of more than 5,500 U.S. high school seniors. It was taken between 2010 and 2012. About 18% said they had used a hookah in the last year. With a hookah, smoke bubbles up through water. People usually smoke in bars or in other group settings, taking turns. About half of regular cigarette smokers had used a hookah, compared with 6% of those who had never smoked. Teens who had used marijuana or alcohol were 3 to 4 times as likely to use a hookah as non-users. Nearly 23% of those who earned at least $51 a week in a job had used a hookah, compared with 14% of those with lower earnings.