The Oracle TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 I VOL. 52 NO. 66
Inside this Issue
Newest album releases score big. Page 4
Montage
S PORTS Kloss’ kicking leads East to Shrine game victory. BACK
classifieds..............................................7 Crossword.........................................7 sports............................................................8
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Smoking out the facts Soledad Study shows students don’t realize hazards of hookah compared to cigarettes.
n
LI F E STYLE
www.usforacle.com
The Index
News.................................................................1 Lifestyle......................................................4 Opinion.......................................................6
By McKenna Skope C O R R E S P O N D E N T
Contrary to popular belief among college students, hookah smoking could be significantly more dangerous than many assume, according to a recent USF Health study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Surveying around 500 USF students, the study found that smoking hookah is perceived as less harmful than smoking cigarettes. Half of those surveyed believed hookah was less dangerous, while another 25 percent were unsure of the dangers of hookah or believed it wasn’t dangerous at all. The study shows that students aren’t fully aware of the impact of hookah smoking, said Shams Rahman, a USF doctoral student in epidemiology and the lead author of the study. “Half of the people we surveyed who were smoking (hookah) were doing so for one hour or more,” he said. “This exposes you to the same (danger) as roughly 100 cigarettes.” The study found that among those who smoke regularly, 55 percent smoke once a month and about 40 percent smoke weekly. One session of hookah exposes the user to up to six times more carbon dioxide, which inflames the lungs, than one cigarette, according to the study. Hookah smokers are also exposed to significantly higher doses of tar and nicotine,
the respective cariogenic and addictive chemical associated with cigarette smoking. Of the students surveyed, 54 percent reported having smoked hookah, and 16 percent reported ongoing hookah use. Rahman said this statistic particularly alarmed him. “Prevalence is very high,” he said. “The important thing about this finding is that you can see that it is catching up with cigarettes.” Roughly a third of college students and about a quarter of U.S. adults smoke cigarettes, according to the CDC. In other parts of the world, such as the Middle East where hookah was popularized, it is as common as cigarette smoking. Due to increased media and scientific discussion of hookah health hazards, some students
n See HOOKAH on PAGE 2
Research shows hookah exposes smokers to more carbon monoxide, tar and nicotine than cigarettes. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/ADAM MATHIEU
O’Brien to speak for equality By Wesley Higgins N E W S
E D I T O R
In every push for progress, there must be envoys able to voice the stories of millions. In coordination with USF’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Week, Soledad O’Brien is speaking tonight at 8 in the Marshall Student Center Ballroom. Winner of Peabody and Emmy awards, O’Brien will use her journalistic experience exploring racial divides in the U.S. to challenge the audience’s understanding of the state of equality. Premiering in 2008 on CNN, O’Brien hosted the “Black in America” series that delved into the challenges African American culture faces in the U.S. today, 40 years after the death of Martin Luther King Jr. The documentary series explores issues such as racial disparities in education, the workforce and economic class. Other episodes discuss the heavy concentration of African American men in the prison system, the absence of African American entrepreneurs and the criteria in which society defines being black. With seven episodes so far, the series has become one of CNN’s most watched programs. The first two-part documentary drew in 2.4 million viewers. Though some criticized the series for an overly simplified
n See EQUALITY on PAGE 2