Is Hookah Really Worse Than Cigarettes?
After hearing several people telling me that hookah is "ten times worse than smoking cigarettes," I decided to do some research and find some past articles and studies on hookah and its health risks as compared to smoking cigarettes.
I personally smoke hookah a couple times a month but try to limit this habit, as it is still flavored tobacco and not the best hobby. However, it does taste decent and is fun to do with friends, as well as relaxing.
Anyway, I found an old HealthDay article from Jan. 3, 2008 about hookah and cigarette smoking. According to the article, hookah has the same amount of carbon monoxide as a pack of cigarettes. However, it only looks at this toxic gas and not other health risks associated with hookah or cigarettes. So cigarettes could still be worse in other areas, like causing lung cancer.
In an older study by the World Health Organization in 2005, it was said that hookah is dangerous because smokers tend to be exposed longer to more smoke, as opposed to cigarette smokers.
"The waterpipe smoker may therefore inhale as much smoke during one session as a cigarette smoker would inhale consuming 100 or more cigarettes," the study said.
This is assuming that cigarette smokers only smoke from five to seven minutes long and hookah smokers only smoke from 20 to 80 minutes. Of course, longer smoking times mean more smoke is inhaled, which contains nicotine. This can cause addiction.
Basically, if hookah smokers limit their sessions and take from 8 to 12 puffs (like average cigarette smokers) instead of 50 to 200 puffs (like average hookah smokers), as well as limiting the amount of smoke inhaled, then there won't be as much of an issue.
It was also noted in another study found on the WHO Web site that physician-diagnosed chronic respiratory disease was found at a much higher rate in mixed (cigarette and hookah) smokers and waterpipe (hookah) smokers. Mixed smokers also showed more symptoms of chronic bronchitis (41.9%) than cigarette smokers (37%). Participants were only Lebanese people. However, it was noted that the difference between waterpipe and cigarette smokers was not "statistically significant."
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Add a Comment7 Comments
So is Hookah addicting like cigarettes?? Does it actually contain any nicotine like cigarettes do??
August 4, 2009 - 5:01pmThis Comment
I think cigareettes are much more harmful den hookah! Although they are both bad, cigarettes can not be compared to hookah in hamness. Cigarettes cause long term effects whilst shisha does not. I personally think cigarettes are way more harmful then hookah.
July 27, 2011 - 3:28pmThank you
Nicotine is a natural toxin that is the tobacco leave's protection against insects. However, there are herbal tobacco-free and nicotine-free products. Like some pipe tobacco is fruity flavored, hookah products can be fruity and herbal.
The jury is still out on the harmful effects of hookah tobacco. But, nicotine is still toxic even airborne, whether it's in hookah smoke or cigarette smoke. You can also suffer mouth and throat related cancers.
See: Smoking Hookah Risks, Mouth Cancer Foundation (UK)
History of the Hookah, Wikipedia
August 4, 2009 - 5:30pmHope this helps.
Rheyanne, thanks for your paper and the research you have decided to do. There are others sources and the WHO report in particular has been criticised in a medical journal.
http://www.jnrbm.com/content/5/1/17
See also :
http://www.pr-inside.com/bbc-accused-of-gross-exaggeration-in-r1453218.htm
Cheers,
September 22, 2009 - 10:52amGenevieve
hell no your wrong is 5% percent of cirgattes
November 5, 2009 - 8:59pmI know there a lot of hookah smokers hate hearing that hookah is worse than cigarettes.
Well sadly, they are identical, if not worse.
In a hookah, you inhale it deeply so you are able to smoke rich silky smoke from your mouth, so you are inhaling all the sugar and tobacco. It takes 10 times as longer for hookah smokers to recover their lungs than cigarette.
The good thing about it is that it has very little, if none nicotine.
April 22, 2010 - 2:03pmhookah is much safer than cigarettes. i enjoy both, however in hookahs you are not fully burning the tabacco, but in a way steaming or vaporizing it. When you scoop out the used shisha you will see that it is not burned, but shrunken down in size.(unless you over smoke it, gross) as long as you keep as much coal smoke out of the inhaled smoke you are fine. People over exagerate the effects of hookah. It is rather harmless and if you were really smoking the tabacco it wouldnt smell so good. where as smoking cigarettes leave a definite burning smell
July 17, 2010 - 9:17pm