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By Lisa Rapaport
(Reuters Health) – More than half of American teens overestimate the frequency with which their peers smoke hookah, and a new study suggests that they are more than nine times more likely to try it themselves. "Adolescence is a crucial stage of development when young people are under pressure to integrate socially," said lead author of the study, Dr. Israel Agaku, a researcher at the University of California. Office on Smoking and Health of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Atlanta
"Peer pressure, coupled with frequent exposure to pro-tobacco advertising, may lead young people to believe that hookah is far more common than it actually is "said Mr. Agaku. "The likelihood of young people smoking hookah increases when they believe that" everyone does "even though this perception is inaccurate.
The vast majority of American teens have never tried the hookah .
Although many users think it's less harmful, hookah tobacco carries the same health risks as smoking, according to the CDC.
Overall, only 11% of students in grades six to twelve have "
But three out of five teens overestimate how many of their classmates smoke narghile, they report in pediatrics.
Young people's perception of the hookah's popularity among their peers was higher than the actual use rates of the same For the study, the researchers examined the survey data on tobacco use collected in 2016 from a nationally representative sample of 20,675 adolescents.
The nority of the participants who had tried the hookah at least once, 66 percent were former users. Another 26% said that they were currently using the hookah on the occasion, and about 8% said they were currently smoking narghile regularly.
The biggest predictor of hookah use was to live with a hookah smoker. Students in this situation were more than 20 times more likely to use the hookah than youth without a hookah smoker at home.
The consumption of menthol cigarettes was very close. Teens who currently smoked menthol cigarettes were more than 19 times more likely to use the hookah than teens who did not use it. The increased risk of using hookah was also more than 17 times higher among youth who used other types of flavored tobacco products
Most young hookahs do not frequent bars and restaurants of hookah frequented by students.
In this study, 48% of adolescents reported using a narghile at a friend's house; 31% said that they tried it in their own home; and 21% smoked at a parent's home.
This suggests that efforts to restrict the use of hookahs by adolescents in public facilities may be insufficient to solve the problem, said Dr. Benjamin Chaffee, researcher on tobacco at the University from California. Francisco, who did not participate in the study
"The restrictions of aromas and the limitation of places of hookah to 21 years and more are important to prevent the use of the young people but the high prevalence of hookah at home implies a strong need to communicate with young people. "Chaffee added.
The study was not a controlled experiment aimed at proving whether or how teens' social life could have a direct impact on their hookah use. Another limitation of the study is that it only includes young people enrolled in the school.
Nevertheless, the results reflect further research suggesting that adolescents overestimate how much their peers drink and smoke, and that these misperceptions can influence behavior, says Thomas Wills, director of the Pacific Cancer Prevention Program. of the Cancer Center of the University of Hawaii in Honolulu
"Teens tend to think that problematic behaviors are more common than they actually are, partly because the Teens "Wills, who did not participate in the study, said by email
" Also, abstainers may feel compelled to express their views because they are not involved in the study SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2tVf72M Pediatrics, Online July 2, 2018.
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