Nearly One in Four Young Men Smoked Hookah, Canadian Study Finds

Researchers who surveyed residents of Montreal, Canada, found that 23 percent reported smoking from a hookah, or waterpipe, within the past year, Reuters reported May 11.

The study of 18- to 24-year-olds found that waterpipe smoking was especially popular among males. Similar findings have been reported in the U.S., Australia, and Europe.

“Water-pipe users may represent a more-privileged group of young people with the leisure time, resources, and opportunities to use water-pipes,” according to researcher Jennifer O’Loughlin of the University of Montreal and colleagues.

The findings were published in the June 2010 issue of the journal Pediatrics.