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Fact check: No, 'My First Hookah' bubble toy isn't a real product for children

Bayliss Wagner, USA TODAY
·3 min read

The claim: Photo shows a toy for kids called "My First Hookah"

Social media users are expressing concern about a toy called "My First Hookah" that has appeared in several Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts leading up to Christmas.

The baby-blue box, which shows a toddler and a young child excitedly blowing through a plastic hose, says the toy is appropriate for children 3 and older. A wide smiley face decorates the yellow base of the imitation hookah. The box notes that four hoses and four bubble refills are included.

"Just in time for the holidays," says text above the picture.

Commenters had mixed reactions.

“This is not cute, it is disturbing on many levels," one user captioned a photo of the toy in a Dec. 15 Facebook post that was shared more than 800 times in less than a week. "Let the children enjoy being a child without the grown-up things being introduced to them so early. It’s just my opinion!” Over 800 users shared the post.

Another defended the toy, noting candy cigarettes "have been a thing for years."

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Other commenters were skeptical or interpreted the meme as satire – and rightly so. "My First Hookah" isn't a real product; it's a satirical image created by digital artist Adam Padilla.

USA TODAY reached out to several users who shared the post for comment.

"My First Hookah" toy in image began as satire

Padilla first posted the viral meme, which includes a photo of the hookah toy, on Dec. 15. The blue box bears Padilla's Instagram handle, @adam.the.creator, in light blue letters on one side.

Over 23,000 users liked Padilla's Instagram post, captioned, "Do these come in adult with CBD bubble fluid?" The meme also accrued thousands of retweets and shares on his Facebook and Twitter pages.

Padilla is known for creating satirical products and memes using graphic design software, such as "My First Vape," which was widely shared in 2017.

However, the satirical aspect of the post was lost when Facebook users shared the photo of "My First Hookah" as if it were a real product. This is an example of what could be called stolen satire, in which made-up claims published and labeled as satire are captured via screenshot and reposted in a way that makes them appear to be legitimate news or other developments. As a result, readers of the second-generation post are misled, as was the case here.

Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that a photo shows a toy for kids called "My First Hookah." This is not a real product, but instead a work of digital art. It was intended as satire but shared widely as if it were an actual toy.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: No, 'My First Hookah' bubble toy isn't a real product