The JagWire staff has decided to write a staff editorial in order to address recent complaints regarding the article about hookah bars that ran in the issue that came out on Friday, April 6.

Complaints have been brought up over the lack of information in the article about the dangers of smoking tobacco. While those concerns are valid, there are specific reasons why the article was written the way it was. During story ideas, a time when the staff decides the topic of each page, the staff chose this particular topic in order to discuss the migration of a type of establishment that is culturally significant in the Middle East to the United States. The staff wanted to comment on the fact that certain students at our school are participating in this cultural phenomenon.

In the article’s original drafts, information was included from the Center for Disease Control about hookah smoking. However, after this draft was read by editors as well as our adviser Kathy Habiger, the decision was made that those particular facts did not coincide with the staff’s original idea behind writing the article: to understand the social and cultural atmosphere the bars provide for students who are legally responsible for deciding whether or not to go. We hope that any concern over the article’s contents will create an opportunity for discussion among parents and students because, while the JagWire is an influence in the school, it is only one voice of many that can affect a student. The JagWire staff continues to stand behind its decision to run the article, however, we apologize for any confusion regarding the article’s intent and do not condone smoking of any kind.

The dangers of tobacco use continue to exist with all various methods of tobacco consumption and are not something to be taken lightly. According to the Center for Disease Control, smoking tobacco out of a hookah has been associated with cancers of many sorts, decreased lung function and decreased fertility. The decision of the editorial board as well as the staff to address the topic the way we did was not in any way an attempt to popularize smoking or to disregard the very serious effects of tobacco. We would like to thank our readers for their concern and continued support of our paper.