The hookah tradition originating from the Middle East, consists on smoking shisha, a flavored tobacco, through a water pipe. This has become a beyond popular practice amongst the american youth, specially college students. Many consider this to be a fairly healthy practice and a good alternative to cigarette consumption. It is generally believed that since the shisha smoke is filtered through water all of the carcinogens from the tobacco are eliminated.
Unfortunately for all hookah lovers this is not true. As a matter of fact, hookah may be just as risky as smoking cigarettes. Hookah users inhale more smoke for longer periods of time which as a direct result causes them to inhale more tobacco. It is supposed to deliver the same amounts of nicotine meaning that there is a chance of creating a dependency. There is also the risk of cancer, due to the toxic components in the smoke such as tar, carbon monoxide and other carcinogens.
As a hookah consumer I personally feel very ignorant for not having been aware of the dangers surrounding the practice. This also makes me wonder how many other popular, seemingly harmless, and yet unhealthy practices have we integrated into our culture? Hookah is not something we see being regularly advertised on t.v. or magazines like cigarettes did back in the day, then how did it manage become so popular, and its effects so unrecognized?
Here are some quick hookah facts extracted from “tobaccofreeu.org” :
- Compared to a single cigarette, hookah smoke is known to contain:
- Higher levels of arsenic, lead, and nickel1
- 36 times more tar
- 15 times more carbon monoxide
- Smoking a hookah requires taking longer and harder drags, increasing levels of inhaled nicotine and carcinogens in the lungs.
- The longer the hookah session, the more nicotine and toxins one takes in.
- A 45 to 60 minute hookah session exposes the smoker to approximately the same amount
of tar and nicotine as one pack of cigarettes. - Sharing mouthpieces without washing them can increase the risk of spreading colds, flu,
and infections–even oral herpes. - Health risks of smoking hookahs include cancer, heart disease, lung damage, and dental
disease. - Do not think that if you are just visiting a hookah bar, that you are in the clear. There are still high levels of damaging secondhand smoke to all who are present.
Thanks for posting this information. Hookah is just as bad as cigarettes, even if it isn’t as addicting (or so I am told). Smoking anything that is burning is bad for your lungs, anyway. A lot of people aren’t educated about hookah, and they really should be. Not scare-campaign style, but if people know how many carcinogens they were inhaling with one session I feel like people would do it a lot less than they do it now.
Wow, I’m so glad you wrote this blog. It made me research more about hookah. Like you said, I knew hookah was bad for you but I didn’t know it was as bad for you as it is. I’ve smooked hookah probably twice in my life and now I feel like I’m gonna get cancer. According to the CDC, people who smoke hookah are just as at risk for oral cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, cancer of the esophagus, reduced lung function, and decreased fertility. Obviously, these are extreme side effects for the people who are smoking hookah regularly, but they shouldn’t be ignored.
I also have occasionally been smoking a hookah with friends at a hookah bar and such and i actually had no idea that it was worse than cigarettes. I started with no research of smoking hookah, and always thought that it was “healthier” than smoking cigarettes..But after reading this entry i feel as if i need to definitley reconsider my thoughts on occasionally smoking hookah.
All seriousness aside
Watch this guy do awesome hookah tricks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-osDpUPwn0