In Process: Hookah Concerns Rise With Its Popularity..

March 2, 2009 - There are six hookah lounges within a three-mile radius of the University of South Florida's Tampa campus. Hookah (water pipe, sheesha, shisha, narghile), an ancient form of smoking from India and the Middle East, is growing in popularity in the United States, especially among 18- to 24-year-olds. But there are health concerns.

"Prior to smoking hookah, I was pretty anti-smoking," Mike Higgins said. "I don't smoke cigarettes for that reason. Cigarettes are gross, and if you continue smoking them, you would get addicted. Right now, if everyone in here was smoking cigarettes, I know I wouldn't be able to sit in here."

Related news briefs: Hookah smoking popular among college crowd..; Hookahs on college campuses becoming growing public health issue..




Reference: Hookah concerns rise with its popularity by Anna Peters, Kristal Roberts And Kristen Martinez -- Special to The Tampa Tribune, 2/28/2009.