Why Shisha (Hookah) Is More Dangerous Than Tobacco Smoking

Shisha, also called hookah, is becoming very popular especially among youths. It is a modern day smoke rumoured to be safer than tobacco smoking. This is because the smoke is made to pass through water or other forms of liquid. And that the water or liquid purify or remove all harmful chemicals. The idea is made worse because there is no warning label with shisha smoke or at least not for now.

Shisha Design

Shisha (hookah)

Shisha is tobacco smoking made from the heating of either flavoured maassel or tobacco free substance using charcoal heated air that is made to pass through water or other liquid filled chamber. A tube connects the chamber to a mouthpiece where the smoke passes out. It can be single or muti-stemmed mouthpiece.

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There has been some work to identify the final content of shisha smoke. But the long term effects of smoking shisha have not been analysed as much.

Two issues have been raised by those who carried out research on shisha. The first is the poison posed by the charcoal in shisha. Burning charcoal releases carbon monoxide and many other toxins. This carbon monoxide was not designed to escape from the system before it gets to the water or liquid.

The second issue is the presence of toxic substances in the tobacco that find their way to the water or liquid. The water and other liquids used do not absorb the dangerous chemicals in tobacco. The flavour only masks the taste of the smoke and makes it seem harmless.

The only difference is that the quantity of these chemical toxins may be different according to a research at German Jordanian university of jordan. It was shown that only 3 percent of heavy metal was filtered while 57 percent made their way through into the hookah smoke. The rest wound up in the tobacco ash. And when the water or liquid have exceeded the saturation point, it will no longer be able to absorb more of the toxins.

Content Of Shisha Smoke

It has been shown that a typical shisha smoke contain 82 chemical toxins and carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), volatile aldehyde, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, nicotine, furens and nanoparticles. These are the same content of tobacco smoke.

Dangers Of Smoking Shisha

But even with the little filtration achieved, scientists have confirmed that shisha smoke is even more dangerous than tobacco smoking. What are their reasons? Most tobacco smokers smoke one to three sticks a day. Within a few minutes, they are done. But that is not the case with shisha smoke. On average, most people who smoke shisha spend between 30 to 60 minutes per session. The quantity of tobacco toxins absorbed during this period is higher than smoking three sticks.

It is as addictive as tobacco smoke. It has been shown that those who smoke shisha will one day try out tobacco smoke. Even passive smoking is dangerous because the quantity of smoke in the air is more than that of tobacco.

In many cases, groups of people share a single mouthpiece. This is an avenue for contracting different kinds of infection.

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From the above analysis, shisha smoking is as dangerous as smoking tobacco. If the charcoal effect is added, it can be said to be more dangerous than tobacco smoking. That means smoking shisha is like ingesting the poisonous carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide has killed many people in Nigeria in the form of electric generator fumes. And since the end product contains the same toxic chemicals like that of tobacco smoke at almost the same quantity, the long term effects with that of tobacco will be the same or similar.

We are sitting on a time bomb. Shisha smoke is in almost on every corner and easily displayed for people to see without any caution. The result is the general acceptance by the youths. More girls accept shisha than tobacco. In the United States of America (USA), 4.1 percent of high school students and 1.2 percent of middle school students smoke shisha. That represents youth. If nothing is done now, many more youths will get hooked with this. The deadly effect will be felt in the near future.