Alarming Facts About Hookah

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Smoking is injurious to health. It causes Cancer” is a poster that everyone reads nearly every day. But only very few are really taking the positive steps to stop smoking. Actually many are not aware of the effects of smoking even hookahs and so feel that it is safer than cigarettes. But the fact is really alarming.

Fact 1 What is hookah?

A hookah is a water pipe that is used to smoke tobacco that are specially prepared and are available in various flavors like mint, cherry, cappuccino, coconut, licorice, chocolate, cherry, apple and watermelon. There is a bowl at the top of the hookah and when the tobacco is heated in this bowl, the smoke is filtered through the water that lies at the base of the hookah. It has different names like goza, borry, narghile, hubble-bubble and water pipe. These are available in various sizes and shapes and styles. Most people smoke hookahs in groups.

Fact 2 Origin of Hookah

This system of smoking began more than 500 years ago in the Middle East parts of the world. The first users were India, Turkey and Egypt. It is one of the oldest traditions of Turkey. The use of the hookah has spread to all parts of the world and there are hookahs joints in many places like in the United States there are about 300 establishments. The alarming news is that smoking hookah has increased among the youth and especially high school students and college students to a great extent that health risks have increased at alarming rates.

Fact 3 Effects of Smoking

Most people think that smoking hookah is safer than smoking cigarettes because it is filtered through the water. But this is a wrong notion. Using a hookah to smoke tobacco is the cause of various deadly diseases and those who are exposed to the smoke too at are at risk. The evil effects of smoking hookah are namely:

  1. The tobacco and smoke of hookah contain toxic agents that clog the arteries and affect the heart.
  2. Non-smokers also become a prey to such lung infections when they are in company of hookah smokers.
  3. Infections are passed on to others when hookah is shared.
  4. The charcoal which heats the tobacco is the cause of health risks as they produce high levels of metals, carbon-monoxide and chemicals that cause cancer.
  5. Although the tobacco passes through water, the toxic agents remain in the smoke at a high level.
  6. Person smoking hookah is susceptible to the same deadly diseases like cancer related to the lungs, oral cancer, stomach and esophagus and reduces proper functioning of the lungs and decreases fertility.

Fact 4 Non-tobacco products for smoking hookah

Nowadays, many people have become aware of the ill effects of smoking hookahs too like smoking cigarettes. Sweetened and flavored non-tobacco products are available for use in hookahs. According to the labels and advertisements of these products, users can enjoy same taste without the ill effects of tobacco. But studies show that these products are not without their harmful effects although they are herbal in nature for the “shisha” used to prepare them contain carbon monoxide as well as other toxic agents that lead to lungs and heart diseases.

Fact 5 Importance of educating the masses about hookah smoking

Hookah smoking has alarmingly increased especially among the youth which must be stopped immediately for the benefit of mankind as a whole. It is the duty of the higher authorities and those at power to take immediate steps to stop the sale of hookahs as well as tobacco throughout the world in order to save the next generation.

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