hookah smoking is a historically middle Eastern and Indian form of tobacco use that fueling a contemporary epidemic of tobacco abuse and
a nationwide public health crisis, particularly among young
adufts (American Lung Association, 2@7; Wodd Health Organi-zation
[VIHO],
2005). For centuries, hookah smoking was de-fined as a cultural phenomenon and a masculine habit endemic
only to men from Middle Eastern cultures. Currentl_v, hookah
smoking is a social phenomenon that is marketed throughout
the United States to both female and male young adults of all
ethnic backgror:nds as a safer, nonaddictive alternative to cig-arette smoking (Akl et al.,2OlO; American Lr:ng Association,
20O7). Despite numerorls public health efforts to promote a
tobaccofree environment, hookah smoking is the only form
of tobacco use that is not regulated in the United States and
is currently exempt from clean indoor air legislation, such as