Hookah, an Emerging Public Health Issue

image: smokefreesandiego.org

Waterpipe, also known as hookah, shisha, narghile, goza, or hubble bubble has been used for centuries to smoke tobacco, particularly in North Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean and areas of South East Asia. Recently, waterpipe smoking has emerged as a popular new trend among young adults worldwide, including Canada. Waterpipes use both tobacco and herbal (marketed as tobacco-free) products, called shisha, often sweetened and flavoured, which are heated by charcoal. The resulting smoke is cooled by a water-filled chamber before being inhaled through a hose and a mouth piece.

Data from the 2010 Youth Smoking Survey indicates that 5% of Ontario youth in grades 6-12 have tried smoking a waterpipe and that 4 per cent of Grade 10-12 students smoked waterpipes in the past 30 days, including 6 per cent among grade 12 students. Of the Grade 10-12 students who smoked waterpipes in the past 30 days, 41 per cent had not smoked cigarettes during that time, and 53 per cent had not yet smoked 100 cigarettes.

Hookah practices are becoming a challenge for tobacco enforcement officers and public health units. Legislation, policies and practices will have to adapted to ensure effective public health controls are in place.