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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2008.151225v1 99/11/2014    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Barnett, T. E. Articles by Smith-Simone, S. Y. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Barnett, T. E. Articles by Smith-Simone, S. Y. Related Collections Adolescent Health School Health Tobacco Control

Tracey E. Barnett, PhD, Barbara A. Curbow, PhD, Jamie R. Weitz, MS, Tammie M. Johnson, DrPH and Stephanie Y. Smith-Simone, PhD, MPH

At the time of the study, Tracey E. Barnett and Barbara A. Curbow were with the Department of Behavioral Science and Community Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville. Tracey E. Barnett is also with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Rehabilitation Outcomes Research Center, Gainesville. Jamie R. Weitz and Tammie M. Johnson are with the Bureau of Epidemiology, Division of Disease Control, Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee. Stephanie Y. Smith-Simone is with the Center for Outcomes Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.

Correspondence: Correspondence should be sent to Tracey E. Barnett, PhD, PO Box 100175, Gainesville, FL 32610-0175 (e-mail: tebarnett{at}phhp.ufl.edu). Reprints can be ordered at http://www.ajph.org by clicking the "Reprints/Eprints" link.

Objectives. We examined prevalence rates of water pipe tobacco smoking among young people as a first step in assessing the health implications of this form of tobacco use.

Methods. We examined water pipe use with data from the 2007 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey, which assessed tobacco-related beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors among the state's middle and high school students.

Results. Four percent of middle school students and 11% of high school students reported ever having used a water pipe. Adolescent boys were significantly more likely than adolescent girls to use water pipes, and African American adolescents were significantly less likely than adolescents from other racial/ethnic backgrounds to do so. Those who indicated ever having tried cigarettes and those who reported positive attitudes toward the social nature of cigarette use were more likely to have tried water pipes.

Conclusions. Water pipe use appears to be widespread among middle and high school students. Further research is needed to assess the health risks associated with water pipe tobacco smoking as well as young people's attitudes toward this form of tobacco use.