Below is an interview with Dr. Thomas Eissenberg, associate professor, department of psychology and Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University:
Q: Is it true that hookah smoke is better than cigarette smoke because it’s filtered through water?
A: Unfortunately, there are no data by which we can compare directly the health effects of smoking tobacco using a waterpipe with those of smoking tobacco cigarettes. The necessary studies have not (yet) been done.
However, we do know that the smoke produced by a waterpipe contains some of the same carcinogens as in cigarette smoke, as well as substantial amounts of carbon monoxide (implicated in cigarette-caused cardiovascular disease.)
The one study that addressed the issue provided no evidence that the water influences the amount of carcinogens, carbon monoxide or heavy metals present in the smoke produced by a waterpipe.
Q: Is there an equal amount of nicotine in hookah and cigarettes? Do you happen to have any of the statistics on how much nicotine and carbon monoxide there is in hookah?
A: Waterpipes are used for periods that can last for 30-45 minutes, while a single cigarette is smoked for about 5 minutes. The average puff on a waterpipe produces about 500 ml of smoke, while the average puff on a cigarette produces about 50 ml of smoke.
A hookah smoker can take about 100 puffs when s/he uses a waterpipe (i.e., in a single 30-45 minute session) while a cigarette smoker takes about 10 puffs.
Waterpipe use episode can involve some 100 puffs of 500 ml of smoke each, or 50,000 ml of smoke (or 50 liters). A cigarette use episode can involve some 10 puffs of 50 ml each, or 500 ml (0.5 liters).
With all this in mind, you wouldn’t be surprised to hear that there is more nicotine in waterpipe smoke, and you are right – one study shows that the smoke form a waterpipe, produced as though a human were smoking it, contains about 2.96 mg nicotine. Similar studies with cigarettes show that cigarette smoke contains about 1.74 mg nicotine.
The difference is not as big as you’d think, given the huge difference in volume of smoke produced, ml for ml, there is less nicotine in waterpipe smoke than in cigarette smoke, though there is MORE nicotine in the smoke produced from a single waterpipe use episode (30-45 minutes) than is produced from a single cigarette (5 minutes).
Of course, the nicotine in tobacco smoke isn’t what causes cancer and cardiovascular disease. For that, you have to look at “tar” (actually, nicotine free, dry particulate matter, or NFDPM) and carbon monoxide (CO.) The same studies show that waterpipe smoke contains 802 mg tar compared to 22.3 mg for cigarettes, and 145 mg CO, compared to 17.3 mg for cigarettes. Thus, a single waterpipe use episode (lasting 30-45 minutes) can yield slightly more nicotine than a single cigarette, and about 36 times the tar and 8 times the CO.
Q: How frequently and how long would each hookah smoking session have to be, before you see dangerous side effects or diseases?
A: Nobody knows the answer to that question. I don’t claim to be a cancer expert, but I have heard some say that the action of carcinogens may be based more on probability than dose. That is, a single molecule of carcinogen has an infinitesimal, but non-zero probability of inducing cancer in the cell(s) that it contacts.
If this statement is true, it would explain the well-known dose-relationship between smoking and cancer, as well as the fact that there are rare cases where people smoke all their lives and do not die of smoking-related disease.
Also, if the statement is true, it suggests that ANY carcinogen intake carries some risk, however small, and that even a single waterpipe use episode or single cigarette could have a non-zero probability of inducing cancer. We would do well to avoid carcinogen inhalation whenever we can.
Q: Is hookah just as addictive as cigarette smoke?
A: I believe that there are two components to tobacco smoking, physical dependence on nicotine and, for lack of a better phrase, a “psychological dependence” on tobacco use (potentially an associative, or learned, phenomenon1,2).
There is enough nicotine in waterpipe smoke and waterpipe users to support physical dependence, and the data suggest that some waterpipe smokers show the hallmarks of dependence (i.e., withdrawal when the stop, behaviors to avoid stopping, failure to quit despite known health risks, etc).
Also, and perhaps more important for the occasional user, there are many of the requirements for a psychological dependence – an elaborate preparation ritual and distinctive cues (smell, taste, environment) that are paired with numerous potent reinforcers that include pharmacologic (nicotine), biologic (rest, relaxation), and social (companionship) stimuli. Given these facts, waterpipe use is likely to be AT LEAST as addictive as cigarette smoking.
Q: If it is just as bad for you as regular cigarettes, why do you think many young people (18 and younger) enjoy smoking hookah?
A: I don’t know if smoking tobacco using a waterpipe is as bad for you as “regular cigarettes”, and I won’t say that it is or that it isn’t. People probably enjoy it for the reinforcers that I just mentioned – the pleasurable stimulant effects of nicotine, the relaxation and resting waterpipe use promotes, and the social facilitation that can accompany it.
Add to that a pleasant aroma, sweet flavor, and room temperature smoke that can easily be inhaled without coughing, as well as a myth that the smoke is not dangerous, and avoiding a waterpipe that is offered by friends becomes quite difficult.
Q: Are there any other proven side effects to long-term hookah smoking, such as infertility?
A: A variety of studies are emerging that link waterpipe use to infectious disease transmission and dental problems. There are heavy metals in waterpipe smoke (perhaps from the charcoal) that may also be associated with some health risks.
I am uncertain of the long-term health effects of inhalation of arsenic, cobalt, chromium and lead3, but I know I would prefer to avoid inhaling those elements.
Q: What unique risks were you referring to when you mentioned the adverse effects of smoking from the heavy-metal pipe?
A: It’s not the pipe that is heavy metal, but the fact that heavy metals have been found in the smoke produced by a waterpipe, in concentrations far above those seen in cigarette smoke.
Q: Is there any additional information you would like to share?
A: The important issue for me is not whether waterpipe smoking should be “banned.” I am on record as opposing bans of psychoactive substances, at least when other approaches are likely to be more effective at reducing addiction, disease and death.
The important issue for me is to know what the risks are, so that folks can make an informed decision about their potentially risky behavior. Being enticed by a sweet flavor, a social atmosphere and a *myth* about water “filtration” does not constitute an informed decision.
The beginning of informed decision-making includes the knowledge that the sweet flavor is accompanied by carcinogens, heavy metals, and lethal carbon monoxide, and that the behavior has been associated with cancer and cardiovascular disease.
What Dr. Herman Kattlove, a medical editor at the American Cancer Society, has to say about hookah smoke and its effect on the human body:
Young people are most sensitive to becoming addicted to nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive substance, so it’s advertised to college students. For this reason, hookah smoke can kick start a smoking habit.
Hookah has been banned for those who are 18 and younger. For most young Americans who smoke hookah, their heart rates will go up and breathing will become labored.
There are very few solid U.S. studies that have been done on the effects of hookah smoke. Most studies are done in Egypt and Middle Eastern countries. Israeli smokers were surveyed and about 90 percent of them said hookah smoke is bad for you.
In the Middle Eastern studies, hookah smoke has the same amount of nicotine and tar particles as cigarette smoke. There are even unique poisons and evidence of lead arsenics that come from smoking out of the hookah’s heavy metal pipe. The amount of carbon monoxide is also very high and related to heart attacks. Secondhand smoke contributes to breast cancer and has been linked to lung cancer.
One session of hookah smoke (approx. 45 min.) is the equivalent of smoking one pack of cigarettes per day. The blood levels and genetic changes of the bronchial tubes and chromosome changes of hookah and cigarette smokers are about the same. There is just as much damage from both.
Hookah is a recent phenomenon, so there is not a lot of evidence to support these findings.
umm okay
Thanks for being straight up.
Hello- I am developing a market research plan for the attitudes and use for hookah lounges in atlanta. I also attend the Art Isntitute of Atlanta. What resources do I look for in terms of secondary research for this particular industry? Please email me back at: alshaer_200@hotmail.com.
Thanks for this info. You see, before I thought that shisha was just dried fruit or something like that, because that was what my “friend” told me. I guess that is how people convince people to do stuff, telling them lies about what it really is not. I’ve done hookah three times, different time periods. Me, being a college student and having a full and loaded schedule can be quite stressful. I guess it is up to the person to whether they want to do. Other than that thanks a lot for the info.
Thanks for the info!
Is this hookah stuff legal? what are the age limits for these hookah bars here in Denver, Colorado? My 16 yr old daughter’s friends go all the time and she is trying to convince me it is legal and healthy.
Hookah is legal.
The hookah bars or lounges in Colorado are all 18+, so any 16 year olds are illegally smoking, unless they are not actually going to a bar, but smoking from someone elses hookah, which is totally legal.
it is not legal for your 16 year old daughter to be there unless she was 18
First of all you do not actually burn the tobacco you are just simply heating it up. Second of all you can buy tar free hookah tobacco so there goes your cancer causing substances. So I say smoke away baby smoke away.
i am a new hooka smoker, in fact my whole life i have denied cigs… but the hooka seems way better, its not as rough tasting and as far as i can tell i have no addictions to it.
hey man. thanks for this info. i have a question. my friend just told me about a “hookah” and he said that it wasn’t bad for you. i am only 13 (I won’t do any smoking of any sort forever… hopefully) and i am wondering if they are bad for you. now i don’t want you to be super specific but can you tell me straight on yes or no… are hookahs bad for you????
alright dude.
first of all, there is no tar until its burned. YOU DON’T BURN HOOKAH TOBACCO LIKE A CIG. the hookah tobacco is evaporated. its like smoking honey, molasses, and glycerin.
second, a cig contains about 11.2% of nicotine. one 17g bowl of hookah tobacco (shisha) contains about 0.5%-0.7% nicotine which isn’t even close to becoming an addiction. plus there are nicotine filters that sell in bulk packs of 100, for only like $5- on the internet.
yes, there is more smoke involved but there is absolutely no tar, arsenic, lead, formaldehyde, or any of that crap.
there is absolutely no way that one 45 minute session is like smoking a pack of cigs. thats a lie. hookah smoke is like, moist sugar smoke while there are 4000 cancer-causing chemicals in one cig.
plus, everybody is going to die one day. i wouldn’t mind dying from cancer at the age of 75 when i smoked hookah 2-3 times a day.
YO thanks for the tip i smoke hookah occasionallly have a hookah bar in my house i didnt think it was bad for you but im a swimmer and when i swim i feel winded easily so hookah does have side affects like cigs
how can it be equivalent to smoking a pack of cigs when the mollases have NO tar??
Plus it is mostly smoked in big groups unless you’re an addict!
+ in south africa it is legal to smoke tobacco at the age of 16
Thanks for the information. I believe that hookah isn’t as bad as ciggaretts even though its 500ml of smoke compared to 50ml of smoke in one puff of a cig. Ive been going for awhile now and i play sports and it doesnt seem to affect my breathing nearly as much as when i smoked ciggaretts for a period of time. Im not addicted, i just love going simply because thats where my friends meet up and its an awesome chill spot. Addicting?? No. It just isnt. People who claim they are addicted to it isnt all hookah, its also the environment that they seem to be having so much fun in at hookah bars. And about the age thing someone mentioned…in every state in US (to my knowledge) in order to be able to buy a hookah you need to be 18, but since underage people can come with of age people and have them buy them the hookah, certain hookah bars have established a policy to card every person that walks through the door. There are places that card everyone who walks through the door here in Ohio, but there are also places that only card the buyer. Either way, its legal. (To Leanne) So i wouldnt be surprised if your sixteen year old daughter could get in and smoke hookah. As far as ive been going to the hookah bar, ive never seen a single police officer come in to check I.D.s because its just a waste of their time and they could be doing better things (Please note that our hookah bars are in the OSU campus area which is very populated). If a hookah bar was selling to minors and the Police would get a tip, then sure they would most likely bust them and give them a fine…as for the minors purchasing it, i doubt anything would happen to them though.
You learn a lot from reading.
But you learn more from experience.
So go hooking, and learn.
hookah is amazing =) i love it=)
this well out of the truth hoookah/shisha pipes are much better than cig’s it all depends on what u use in it u dont even have to use tobacco u can use molasses which have 0% tar 0% nicotene 0% tobacco so the stuff they were use was verry bad for u if u use the right stuff for hookah pipes u can get herbal molesses wich are actuallly healthy for you just as long as your dont take it too much
I was going to reiterate what Chad said. He’s completely right. Smoking hookah DOES have the downside of containing an abundant amount of Carbon Monoxide merely from smoke going into your system (any sort of “smoked” item contains carbon monoxide from the chemical itself). BUT, it does not contain any carcinogens, tar, nicotine or any of the more harmful chemicals that cigarettes do. Unfortunately, because it’s heated with a coal, it’s possible to get poisoning or even cancer from the chemical in the coal which can affect your lungs. But aside from the carbon monoxide (which truly depends on the way you inhale the smoke) going into your system and the coal (the effects of the coal can be lessened by only smoking it when it’s FULLY lighted and it’s not sparking at all or if you use wooden coal which is better altogether), it’s not AS bad as this article makes it seem. I’m surprised at how inaccurate the information in this article is.
But also, smoking 2-3 times a day like Chad mentioned is definitely too much in my opinion. I think once or maybe twice a week, at reasonable amounts is ok. Of course, preventing it all together is ideal 🙂
all you all buttards, smoking Hookah is freakin sweet. so all you haters out there need to try it. I will never quit just cuz some stuck up pussy faggots are complaining that its bad for you or what ever. Get over it.
You are an idiot. Obviously hookah is WORSE than regular cigarrettes. You just gave us a bunch of statistics that prove it’s alot worse, and then you go on to say that you “don’t know if it’s any worse”. Are you retarded? GEeeeeezzzz Just say what you mean
well its not like we all hookah every single day.
compared to cigarettes which or course is.
and its not addictive.
you guys remember those days when theirs no shisha and the hookah store is just to far.
its not like we are gonna go get as much as cigarettes.(unless you guys are addicts.)
well thanks for the info.
Of course it’s a lie and scare mongering.
Why didn’t you interview the Pakistani doctors who published one or two months back a case study on hookah smoking and cancer, the first one ever done on this issue (and not on cigarette smokers but on “ever/exclusive hookah smokers”. What else do you want ?).
http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/5/1/19
Please pay attention to their wording: “Overall CEA levels in exclusive hookah smokers were low compared to cigarette smokers. ”
CEA levels, I guess, is the cancer thing. And read also about the extreme conditions they tested:
“To find serum CEA levels in ever/exclusive hookah smokers, i.e. those who smoked only hookah (no cigarettes, bidis, etc.), prepared between 1 and 4 times a day with a quantity of up to 120 g of a tobacco-molasses mixture each (i.e. the tobacco weight equivalent of up to 60 cigarettes of 1 g each) and consumed in 1 to 8 sessions.”
Open your eyes ! “the tobacco weight equivalent of up to 60 cigarettes” !
So, the answer to the 1 or 2 packs equivalent is there, given by these brave scientists. Stop the lies.
Har:
Although you may learn more from experiences, what would be the point of publishing info for others to learn? Its so that people will learn from others experiences, and make new experiences for themselves–which also, could be published….All apart of becoming wiser than the people before you.
I just started smoking hookah about 3 months ago, it is not addicting at all, I’ve played football for 6 years and still do, and there is no downsides as to my breathing or performance. I use herbal molasses and its good, and instead of charcoal, I use a wood briquette. And its all natural, and best of all, I’m not addicted to it at all, I only smoke with company, thats it. But to say that I need it, or absolutely want it, would be a lie, I dont need a hookah, but its a great social activity. Water, is not only a small time filter for the smoke, but it also cools the smoke down.
Water not a filter? Lies. Think of it this way, smoke is lighter than water, and the smoke is also hot, so when you inhale, the smoke passes through the water, and thats when it catches the particles that are heavier than smoke, which are cancer causers and all that crap. So not only that you dont get anywhere near the crap a SINGLE cig gives you, a hookah can actually be healthy. Use herbal molasses, a wood briquette instead of charcoal, and don’t inhale tons of smoke, inhale only at a comfortable level. Dont overflow your lungs with smoke, because then your blood cells and muscle cells begin to lose oxygen. Causing you to dehydrate, feel dizzy or even pass out.
I’ve done tons of research on this, in high school, in college, and even attended hookah learning sessions to find out about this. I’ve interviewed many Assyrians around my town who do hookah, age ranging from 18 – 87, who have reported no problems from hookah. About 5% of my studies show that they got Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, from inhaling the wrong way, and partly smoking the charcoal, like if it falls into the ceramic tobacco holder.
So to all your final questions and answers, HOOKAH IS NOT NEARLY AS BAD AS A CIG!!!
Hey all I am 18 and started smoking hookah when I was in Israel basically everyone there smokes even people who are like in there 80s. IO feel if you chilling with friends ADD A HOOKAH makes it fun relaxed and chilled chuck in a couple of beers and you have a party why go waist money at clubs call over a couple of friends have a barbeque’s have some beers and light a hooker.Peace out all
luv ad
smoking a hookah isn’t addictive
good info here
i belive ur really educated about hooka but i think u made a VERY big mistake the one point that you would of had is the tar part but they sell tar less flavoring so all that info waz completly useless
with full respect
I own a hookah, and i have to say that i disagree with alot that was said here. the facts are here, but very seldom is the hookah smoked alone, especially with the age group that uses it. the hookah is used often for social smoking, and as it may last for 45 or more minutes, that is shared with 4+ people and done once a week if that. How many people share their cigarettes with other people? My family (excluding me) smokes cigarettes and they hate to share any from their pack and other research shows that one session of hookah smoking produces around 3 or 4 percent less tar and CO than one pack of cigarettes, and i dont know many people who only smoke a pack a week
thanx 4 dis information…………..
im really thanhfull 2 u…………………..
thanx……..
Hookah is not bad for you, these statistics are lies. Enjoy it its fun l8r
Smoke away, do what you want. Not what you read.
Learn by learning, not by reading.
I’m smoking Hook right now.
,Andrew
With Hookas you can put the coals on there or u can put dried organic fruit on there
I’ve been smoking hookah for years and haven’t had any lung problems. It’s not addictive, but it’s a ritual for me. I smoke maybe, 5-6 times a week and twice in a day.
Guys,
I can not smoke cigs. but I can smoke hookah. I smoke it about once a week. But always when I socialize. I never ever had the urge to smoke or feel withdrawn if I did not. As a matter of fact sometimes I just do not want to smoke it. I don’t believe that it is addictive or have carcinogens. I do have a light buzz sometimes but that is all. When the hookah tobacco gets too hot, the smoke becomes too thick and uncomfortable to me so I move the charcoal to the side to cool it down. Hookah is a great when taken in moderation like everything else in life.
Hookah isnt that bad and is not as addicting as cigarettes (at least in my opinion). I did it for the first time today and I actaully enjoyed it. Its smoked in big groups so you dont get that many puffs in anyway. Go try it and experience it for yourself before judging.
its amazing………
I just tried hookah for my first time today too. We only had a one hose one so we didn’t get that many hits anyway. The way I figure it, if you smoke a little bit once a week or so it can’t be too bad for you. There should be a surgeons general warning on McDonalds and soda if they’re gonna do it for hookah IMO. I don’t know if I’ll try it again but if I do it won’t be something I do all the time.
i dont care im still usin the hookah when i want to lol
I smoke hookah about once a week with friends, 4-5 of us and we pass the hose around and take a few hits each.
So yes, if you smoke a whole hookah by yourself that is bad, but shared with others hardly.
I get a buzz once in a while but that is it, and I have been doing this since summer started and I never have a need to smoke it. I am not addicted at all and neither is anyone I smoke with.
all my friends do hookah ,
and i never see side effects from it.
i have never tried it or any type of cigg or drug for that matter..
dont PLAN on trying it considering my mom is a drug addict.
i sit there and watch them do thiss..
and it seems completly worthless.
whats the point of it anyways?
makes you more calm ..i get that part..
but why not just smoke a cigg?
for that lady asking about her daughter i think there is a hookah bar somewhere in denver that u can smoke that molasis shit if ur under 18 and they have like two different sections for 18+ and under age smokers, i just heard that so i really have no idea tho, as far as all this goes i just want to ask who here ONLY smokes for 30-40min? im usally smoking for like 3 hours haha.
hookah is the shit, although they say all these bad facts and what not, its better to just do it anyways, ya never know, you just might LOVE it 🙂
the ladies all love it.
im doing it right now homes!
GO FOR IT
Im addicted, but i used to some CIGS but quit.
Im still athletic and can run without wheezing, i smoke everyday.
This info was very useful indeed. I always thought that smokin hooka was less harmful than smokin ciggs. I smoke hooka occasinally and it hasnt created any sideffects in me or anythin like that. In fact, smokin hooka makes me feel better and it eliminates all the stress i often get from having massive amount of schoolwork. So no matter what this article says, I still think that smokin hooka implies less risk than smokin a whole pack of ciggs.
It doesn’t sound like they factored in the fact that most hookah smokers..
a) do it on average once a week, or less
b) share it with 3 others (on average)
It also didn’t factor in that hookah smokers aren’t retarded, and know that any and all smoke is bad for you, in some way.
And also, I’ve always been told that an average session should last 4 people about an hour. I have a hookah, and go to hookah bars, and that sounds about right to me. Dunno where this acticle’s doctors got their info from..
RICHMOND REPRESENT!!!! we have like the most hookah bars of anywhere in the world except like, the middle east lol we’re so gay
The majority of hookah smokers in throughout the Middle East smoke a speciffic kind called “zaghlool” which is unflavored pure tabacco that sits in the bowl of the hookah without any aluminum foil in the way. The odds are that this is the kind of hookah that the Middle Eastern studies were using for their research as it is the more common usage out there. With this in mind, the charcoal sits on the tabacco directly and burns away at it, hence making it virtually the same as (or worse) than a cigarette. By that logic you could see how such results would be aquired. The hookah style more popular in America is flavored and the foil covering allows the charcoal to heat the tabbacco into smoke rather than burning it directly. The smoke in this sense is mostly steam, but unhealthy regardless.
Before assuming, however, that this makes hookah much healthier than cigarettes, it should be noted that the charcoal used in hookah definetly contains many of, and possibly additional, harmful chemicals and carcinogens which make it a dangerous past time. Given proper studies I could see how its worse, and I am living proof that it is addictive.
heeeeey,
i smoke hookah pretty much every day. if not then every other day. sometimes twice a dayyy. and i’ve been smoking it since i was about 14, im 16 now. hookah is totallllly fine! i love it, and the bestttt flavor everrr is strawberry citrus mist. just to let you know! 🙂 ahah but yeah seriously hookah’s great. have funnn with your life. dont be a party pooper! 😉
I smoke about 3 heads a day. Dont listen to the b.s lies! I play football, basketball, and mma fighting, and i dont feel any different then i did b4 i started smokin hookah. I think its amazing and dont wana give it upp no matter what. Its not addicting, i just really enjoy it :)… SMOKE AWAY
I have been doing hookah for 6 years about one or two sessions a weekend or 4-8 times a month and I have gone months with out it and when i run out of supplies i am in no hurry to buy more until i have a little extra money. If your not dumb and know how to do hookah its not that bad dumb people that put the coal right on the shisha with out foil or let it burn are the ones having problems. I exercise every day and i feel like i am improving my mile run times which are is just under 7 mins and i do a big bike race every year and finish in the top group and have alway gotten better times then the year before. I feel no need or addiction. I never do it alone only when someone else wants to as well. I feel no strain on health and i am going on almost 7 years since I started doing hookah so those numbers mean nothing to me i am in my mid 20s and I feel great so I am pulling the BS card on this one. They need better studies and info before i buy in to it. If your not dumb and know how to set a hookah up and work it without burning it then its pure bliss!!!
For those who claim that water is an effective filter, consider this: The smoke is an airborne substance. As it passes through the water it produces… Bubbles! The majority of the smoke does not touch the water. Only the smoke on the surface of the bubble exchanges particles. It cools it down because the smoke’s volume is separated into much smaller units and surrounded by the colder water.
Hookah is great, but it’s horrible for you. There’s no reason to smoke ANYTHING for half an hour or more in one sitting. Also, aluminum filters in the bowl cause alzheimers.
more fear mongering by science, not all of the info is bad but givin the facts if people choose to smoke weed, cigs, hooka, then let em. no one goes to the 90 monk that hasnt eatin in 20 years and tells him that not eating leads to cancer or something stupid like that, i feel that if you live your life in fear of all these deadly chemicals then thats no way to live at all. live to love and love to live
How does the notion of a hookah lounge work in
new jersey, where smoking is banned in public places? I am so confused because a place just opened near my house and it seems counter to the law that was passed several years ago about smoking… just curious if anyone can clarify. Thanks
hooka is grerat
I believe that using wood briquette is safer than coal. The water does filter the bad stuff. Herbal molasses is better than tobacco as it has no nicotine, tar, etc, but, i do believe that it produces Carbon monoxide and can make you feel light headed at times. & I don’t believe it is addictive. We will find out after I smoke some for the first-20th time:) Happy Hookah Smoking:)
Thank you for the clear – straight forward information. Helps to make an informed decision.
google.com
Just bought a hookah for my 14 y.o. daughter, she loves smoking shisha. All her friends do it and it helps her relax. Now she’s got her own she can smoke in the mornings before school.
hmmm maybe I should stop smoking hookah :/
Obviously any kind of smoking is bad for you.. but the more you smoke the more dangerous it gets.. I like my hookah and always take it with when me and my friends go chilling somewhere.. I do smoke about one session a day which might be bad for me but its just nice to relax after work with a bowl of hookah but i can easily stop for a week or two if i have no choice without even thinking about hookahs so its not really addictive but i must admit sometimes i just feel like chilling and wanna puff those thick white smoke fumes.lol.. also most cigarette users inhale the smoke into their lungs.. with hookah you just puff.. so i think the amount of smoke going into your lungs is about the same if not less than cigarettes.. and it smells better and dont burn your mouth like a cig..
Thanks for this.
I smoked hookah for the first time recently.
I can’t stand cigarettes though. The smell is terrible, and it hurts your eyes.
Hookah tastes much more subtle and is much more relaxing. The bubbling water, especially. It is also more of a “group” thing because those who are sensitive to smoke can be in the area. The smoke does not take over as much, and it is fun to smoke hookah in a nice, quiet environment and have some good conversations. I would be careful where you smoke it though because out in public, even in someone’s backyard, it looks like weed from far away.
Unfortunately, the tobacco is addictive. I plan to not smoke hookah for a good long time because it is unhealthy.
I would definitely recommend it in place of cigarettes though.
hey it is not at all harmful
so CHERIO toHookah
first of all I would like tomsaynI quit smoking 35 yrs. ago and I’m so glAD I DID WITH ALL THE updated info. about cigarett smoking out their. I think, excuse the pun but this new trend of hooda smoking in the United states is a smoke screen and money maker. I firmly believe that as more future studies are done it will continue to prove to be more dangerous and addicting then cigarette smoking. sadly by that time more of our youths will all ready be addicted and will have many bad health issues, some probably irreversable. the real question is why take such a risk with your health and life? what is missing in your life that causes you to turn to “Hookah” smoking? think about it.
I tried hookah for the first time last night for my 18th birthday. The whole idea of it kinda freaked me out a bit. My brother took the first few puffs and then passed it to me. Normally, when I smell smoke, I gag or start coughing. The smoke from the hookah was sweet and didn’t bother me at all. When I took it I hardly even realized anything was going into my body. It tasted good and was very relaxing. I enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind doing it again.
Nat
thank u.
I live in Denver it is legal for 16 year olds to smoke at hooka bars, trust me my friends always go there and it is completely legal
I’ve had two cigs in my entire life, I’m soon to be 32. It never appealed to me the way it burns through the sinuses just inhaling it. I’ve been recently introduced to the hookah, for those who asked, it’s legal, if it’s in a bar, you got to be 21+ anyways. My friend said it made him a little high and I was a little shocked by that just because I wasn’t feeling anything different. But because I never smoked, I never learned how to do all the “cool” tricks with making smoke shapes depending on how you breathe in and out with it.
So I was curious and decided to google some info on hookah. The information is different from doctors and fans. It’s interesting that it’s not mentioned anywhere, yes you are sharing the same pipe, but the tips are your own. I have dropped my tip and used my date’s tip until the new one came. I suppose in reality, it doesn’t really matter because the way the smoke is coming through the pipe, it’s all being shared. I am germaphobic and now I’m more concerned about what’s getting trapt in the water pipe as the smoke collects it during each breath. My dentist has been my bestfriend, I’ve corrected the years of not takign care of myself when I was younger. It would really suck if dental diseases can be transfered this way.
Then again, I’m not addicted to hookah. I don’t need it or want it. But if I’m socializing around I’ll take a couple puffs and it’s usually only a couple. I’ll stop taking some towards the end cause the smoke is like cigs to me, I still get the same burning sensation in my sinuses.
hookah is bad. dont do it. dont you have better things to doin life?
I’ve smoked hookah maybe 15 times in 2 years and i also smoke cigarettes and hookah is not even close to as bad for you. I’ve checked 3 different articles all saying hookah can be worse but all the shisha I’ve smoked has like .01% tar and .05% nicotine not to mention it doesn’t actually burn the tobacco it just evaporates the glycerin put in the shisha for flavor. Therefore don’t take what this post says for truth because its wrong. 🙂
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.. Anyhow, good site!
I smoke hookah 4-5 times a day been smoking hookah sence 17 I’m 22 now ,fantasia all day coco Nara coals and my khalil I play ball almost every day I seem fine. The addiction part I do think I am addicted I smoke all time when I can with friends and also when alone. Do I need to quit I would asume so I kno it can’t be healthy BUT I have no signs of anything wrong I just need to limit my self to weekends only. Like the dude said its unexplained and new to a lot of ppl I kno f years ago when I started I live in lakeland fl nobody I kno from high skool even smoked or knew about hookah now there are 4 hookah lounges and bars in are town alone and everyone seems to be smoking them I. Feel there is a lot to learn about hookah and there is not enough evidence or research to say it’s more harmful then cigarets. Just live these vapes I have a moded beast vape I only smoke non nicotine oils they rip more then a hookah sometimes and flavor is way better but there new on market I’m assuming in a year everyone will have one but just like hookahs vapes have no real research behind them either they say they are healthier but wat can it really be doing it may never be explained just couple months ago a women died from a vape she smoked one with a nicotine level of like 32mg and got nicotine poison so yeah but all I’m saying I enjoy my hookah and my vapes but I use them with my state of mind like I just enjoy this so I’m going to do it we all will die one day everyone says hookah will be death of me well if it is I died doing what I enjoy just for anyone reading smoke hookah at with ur own caution it is bad for you but it’s just not proven how bad just know when ur smoking it it’s not just dried up fruit or filtered harmless smoke ok ok peace out by the way I’m a future hookah lounge owner so holla at ya boi duces