Study: Nearly 1 in 5 high school seniors smoke hookah

A new study from researchers at New York University found that 18 percent of high school seniors smoke tobacco from water pipes, a.k.a. hookahs.

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, included a survey of roughly 15,000 high school seniors from 130 public and private high schools across the country, focusing on the hookah use of 5,540 students between 2010 and 2012.

Researchers found that roughly one in five seniors had used hookah pipes within a year of being surveyed. The study also found that smoking hookah was more common among students in large cities and those of higher socioeconomic status.

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While cigarette use is down among teens, a 2012 report found a 123 percent increase in the use of other smokeable tobacco products, including cigars and pipes. The researchers speculate that hookah may be easier to conceal from parents than traditional cigarettes.