Shisha waterpipe use and awareness of health risks among young adults in a semi-rural deprived community in North West England

IntroductionWaterpipe smoking has become increasingly popular among young adults across the globe. Evidence suggests waterpipes have overtaken cigarettes in popularity among university students in the UK. This survey aims to measure the prevalence of use, awareness of the tobacco content and associated health risks of waterpipes among young adults in a non-university semi-rural deprived community in England.MethodsA self-completed questionnaire was distributed by six schools and colleges to young adults aged 16-25 in Tameside, North West England.Results210 young adults completed the survey. 12% of respondents smoke cigarettes and 16% smoke waterpipes. Of those that smoke waterpipes, 45% smoke at home and 88% smoke in shisha bars. 62% of respondents did not know that shisha waterpipes contained tobacco. 18% of respondents believe that waterpipes are less harmful than smoking cigarettes. There was no difference in knowledge of tobacco content, or of the associated health risks, between those that smoke waterpipes and those that do not. The majority of respondents (81%) stated that if they wanted to know more about how shisha tobacco could affect their health they would access information via the internet. Social networking websites was by far the most popular route for communication for messages about the health risks associated with smoking shisha waterpipes. ConclusionThese results suggest that waterpipes may have overtaken cigarettes as the method of choice for smoking tobacco among the general young adult population in the UK.