Hookah Facts

Five hundred years ago hookah was a tradition in the United Arab Emirates and neighboring countries. But now, it has become a style statement and gained popularity among the youth all over the world. A hookah consists of a thin, long stemmed pipe that works on the concept of water filtration and indirect heat. Tobacco, cannabis and other such products can be smoked with a hookah instrument. The main ingredient is heated in a small bowl on top of the hookah and the smoke that evolves is filtered through the water at the base of the hookah. There are a variety of flavours, such as apple, mint, strawberry etc, which add aroma to the ‘sheesha’ or the tobacco being smoked. There is a general misconception that hookah is safer than cigarettes but the fact is that being better or worse than a cigarette doesn’t matter – hookah is NOT safe! To know more about some facts and myths about hookah smoking, view this article.

Smoking Hookah Facts

Hookah is called “cigarette of the new generation”, but after listing the downsides of this kind of smoking, you would think twice!

Hookah contains 60 different carcinogens or cancerous agents. Now, you do the math!
It is believed that since hookah is smoked by filtering the tobacco through water, all the harmful ingredients get filtered. But this is untrue. Filteration does not remove anything and in fact even after filtering, the smoke can damage the lungs as much, if not more, as cigarette smoke.
In an hour of smoking hookah, the smokers inhale about 100-200 times the smoke and about 70 times the nicotine than a normal cigarette.
As bitter as the truth is, you must know that hookah contains higher levels of arsenic, lead and nickel. It contains 36 times the amount of tar and 15 times more carbon monoxide than a SINGLE cigarette!
If you think fruit flavoured and herbal hookahs are better, you are wrong. They contain as much tobacco and nicotine as plain one.
Sharing the mouth piece of the hookah with fellow smokers increases the chances of flu, infection and even oral herpes.
Be careful of your fertility levels as hookah is known to cause impotency!
Even for a second don’t believe that the smoke from hookah cannot enter your lungs. Infact, when you suck the smoke in deeper and there’s a better (or worse!) chance of it entering your lungs.
Indoor smoking is a strict no-no. If you are a passive smoker, you need to be worried too! Though, it is legally allowed in the public, it still affects the people around.
Wrinkling of the skin and breathing problems are common side effects of smoking hookah.
Pregnant women can pass on a physical and mental disability to their unborn child if they smoke hookah during pregnancy. The child may also grow up with asthma, bronchitis, lung disorders and other permanently damaging illnesses.
Do they say hookah doesn’t contain enough nicotine to be addictive? FALSE. Hookah is more potent than cigarettes when it comes to increasing the blood nicotine and once these levels reach well beyond your body’s threshold, you get seriously addicted.

The probable health risks for hookah smoking are quite alarming. So, the next time you’re going to a sheesha bar, remember that quitting comes with no strings attached. You quit, you win!

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