Assessing Toxicity of Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking

Study Summary

Waterpipe smoking is a tobacco use method in which smoke passes through a partially-filled water jar. Burning charcoal heats the waterpipe tobacco which produces the smoke that the user inhales. Waterpipe smoking was associated with increased risk for coronary heart and pulmonary diseases. This Waterpipe Study will inform the FDA on regulating waterpipe tobacco products and reduce the harm of it use. This study will be conducted at homes of hookah smokers, in natural settings, aimed to determine the effects of waterpipe smoking practices on physiological injury markers and biomarkers of toxicity of waterpipe tobacco smoking. The investigators will employ a repeated measures design. The investigators will recruit a sample of 50 adult male and female exclusive waterpipe smokers and a control sample of 25 male and female non-smokers via intercept interviews from San Diego County, California communities. Waterpipe smokers will smoke one waterpipe tobacco head (10g) of Starbuzz during 3 separate sessions with a 7-day washout period before each session, as follows: Session 1, Smoking waterpipe tobacco using 1 quick-light charcoal and room temperature water in the waterpipe jar, Session 2, Smoking waterpipe tobacco using 1 quick-light charcoal and adding ice cubes to the water in the waterpipe jar, and Session 3, Smoking waterpipe tobacco without charcoal using a charcoal-free electrically heated waterpipe head to heat the tobacco, and room temperature water in the waterpipe jar. The following data will be collected: a) Tobacco Use History, b) 4-week Tobacco Exposure Diary, c) Waterpipe Use Session Form, d) Carbon monoxide (CO) exposure: Micro+ Smokerlyzer® CO monitor will be used for exhaled CO pre and 2 minutes post each smoking session, e) Pulmonary function testing and measuring blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate, and f) 6 first morning urine samples: pre and post the 3 sessions to measure urinary cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1

Primary Outcome

Investigators will assess change in creatinine-adjusted urinary levels of cotinine (a metabolite of the addictive drug nicotine) in ng/mL, from pre-to post, at each of 2 waterpipe tobacco smoking sessions. For each of the 2 smoking sessions, smokers will provide two first morning spot urine samples--the day of the smoking session and the following morning. The two waterpipe tobacco smoking sessions are as follows: 1) using charcoal to heat the tobacco, and 2) using a charcoal-free electronic wat

Interventions

• DEVICE Differential effects of waterpipe smoking practices on toxicity of waterpipe tobacco smoke