Review of hookah tobacco smoking among college students: policy implications and research recommendations

TLDR: Policy actions should focus on the development of effective risk communication strategies that target college-age adults and on limiting the accessibility of hookah tobacco products to these adults.

Abstract: Background: About 30% of college students have smoked hookah tobacco. Although most students perceive this product to be innocuous and non-addictive, hookah tobacco increases the risk for disease and nicotine dependence. Currently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate the manufacture, distribution, or sale of hookah tobacco. Objective: Empirical literature pertaining to hookah tobacco smoking is reviewed with a focus on the implications for regulatory policy. Methods: PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases were searched to locate articles published in English. The literature search combined several key words including “hookahs”, “college”, “advertising”, “health effects”, and “health policy”. Results: Smoking hookah tobacco may play a role in the initiation of smoking among tobacco-naive college students and may portend persistent smoking among those who have smoked cigarettes. College students are typically nondaily, social smokers. They do not perceive that their heightene...