Hookah and e-cigarette use have become some of the leading methods of tobacco use globally, particularly amongst youth. There is a common misperception of reduced harm of hookah smoking and e-cigarettes. Research has demonstrated that warning labels are most effective at communicating health risks when they contain pictures, words, and are large in size and color. For the past decade, our team has been on the forefront of novel research demonstrating the harmful effects and addictive potential of both hookah and e-cigarette smoking and disseminating these messages for regulatory/policy purposes. Our mission is to develop and test evidence-based pictorial health warning labels for hookah and e-cigarettes to correct this misperception.
Currently, the FDA requires tobacco packages to include a textual health warning label
“WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.”
Although this is a great first step, pictorial health warning labels are expected to be more effective at communicating risks to users.
The three innovative research projects led by Dr. Asfar, Dr. Maziak, and colleagues will aid in hookah and e-cigarette control in Florida, across the nation, and internationally through the development of evidence-based hookah and e-cigarette health warning labels.
