The number of pipe, hookah shisha, and cigar smokers in the UK has increased fivefold in a decade and experts say this could lead to an increase in smoking-related cancers such as mouth and lung cancer, the Guardian reported.
According to a study published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research, there were about 772,800 people who used tobacco products other than cigarettes last year, compared with 151,200 in 2013.
The data is based on research by researchers at the University of California, who surveyed a representative sample of about 1,700 adults monthly about their smoking habits in the period 2013-2023.
The research found that the biggest increase in smokeless tobacco use was among young people, with 3% of 18-year-olds using these products compared to 1.1% of 65-year-olds. The study also found that prevalence was higher among men and current smokers.
In 2022-23, one in 10 smokers used only smokeless tobacco, such as cigars and hookahs. Cigars, hookahs, shishas and pipes are non-cigarette forms of smoking and can be more harmful than cigarettes.
According to the British Heart Foundation, a person who smokes a hookah for 20 to 80 minutes can inhale the same amount of smoke as a person who smokes more than 100 cigarettes. The charity said smokeless hookahs still produce dangerous toxins from the smoke.
The study states that among the possible reasons for the significant increase may also be people's belief that these forms of smoking are less harmful than cigarettes, as well as financial reasons.
The study notes that the ban on menthol cigarettes in May 2020 does not include these forms of smoking. This may mean that people who prefer this flavor may have turned to other products not included in the ban, such as hookahs and cigars.
Tobacco is estimated to be directly linked to 54,300 cases of cancer a year in the UK. Ministers are considering legislation that will mean that anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 will not be able to legally buy cigarettes in England at any point in their lives, as the smoking age will be raised by one year every year.
Dr Ian Walker, executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, said: "Tobacco kills one person every five minutes in the UK. Research like this shows that the smoking problem is not just about cigarettes - all tobacco products are harmful and cancer-causing, whatever form they take. That is why the Government's Age of Sale legislation must apply to all tobacco products. If implemented, this policy will be a vital step towards creating a smoke-free UK, as this way, the possibility of future generations becoming addicted to tobacco will be prevented"./BGNES
