Study raises concerns about hookah smoking

“We know that the health risks associated with inhalation of smoke and tar are significant,” Mr. Soneji wrote.

Pitt’s Dr. Primack pointed out that his researchers did not study other toxins in the smoke, like heavy metals. “There are all kinds of other things that we were not able to measure in this, because you need to have very specific studies,” he said.

Dr. Primack believes that hookah use will increase.

“We don’t expect those percent- ages for hookah to be getting smaller over time. We expect them to get bigger,” he said.

He emphasized the need for education on hookah usage.

“The questions are one, if you’re doing hookah, are you doing it with tobacco, and two, if you are, do you recognize that you’re inhaling quite a bit over this period of this time?” he said.

Hookah is more popular among younger people, partly because hookah lounges are a substitute for bars among 18- to 20-year-olds, Dr. Primack said. but it is unknown if

smoke hookah as they age. He believes there is a need to consider regulating hookah. He pointed out that, just as for e-cigarettes but not for traditional cigarettes, sweet flavors that appeal to new smokers are legal for hookah.

“It seems kind of odd that we are so aggressively regulating one form but are relatively lax about this other form,” Dr. Primack said.

“We don’t want to get all of the news about-exchange and forget that this2 is a c tu, a ll ye anre - ally important source of toxins related to tobacco use.”