They may taste good due to the various flavors, but health experts have warned that water pipes, shisha or hookahs, which have been popular in the Middle East and North Africa for decades, may be more harmful than cigarettes.
"A single puff from a water pipe is nearly equal to the volume of smoke inhaled from an entire cigarette," said The Tobacco Atlas in the 16th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Abu Dhabi on March 17, 2015.
The five-day event shed light on the latest developments on tobacco use. Furthermore, according to World Health Organization tobacco expert Edouard Tursan d'Espaignet, "One session of shisha (water pipe) can be equal to smoking 20 to 30 cigarettes in one go, which can be very dangerous."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report on water pipes in their website under Tobacco Use & Control saying, hookah or shisha use began centuries ago in ancient Persia and India. Today, cafes worldwide have been using water pipes in their establishments knowing they are harmless as compared to cigarettes.
However, they also pose harmful effects to the health. In fact, CDC warns that using a hookah to smoke tobacco poses serious health risks to smokers and others exposed to the smoke from the hookah. The charcoal used to heat the tobacco may produce increased levels of carbon monoxide, metals and carcinogens. Although it may have passed through water, the smoke still has high levels of many toxic agents used in tobacco.
Aside from this, the tradition in using shisha may be a ground for cross-infection since the hose is passed from one person to another. The toxins found in the smoke may lead to clogged arteries and heart problems.
WHO reiterates that the harmful effects of charcoal may include problems in the respiratory system, cardiovascular system and oral cavity, New Vision reports.
According to The Tobacco Atlas, "water pipes fall into a less heavily or un-regulated group of tobacco products" in most countries.
Water pipes as compared to cigarettes are harmful to the body too. It contains and delivers nicotine just the same as cigarette smoking. Furthermore, the tobacco in hookahs is burned the same way as in cigarettes and it delivers a smoke which is toxic. Also, due to the fact that users of shisha may absorb more of the toxic substances, it may cause more health problems including oral cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, cancer of the esophagus, reduced lung function and decreased fertility.
Did you know that an hour-long session of hookah involves 200 puffs while in cigarette smoking, it only involves 20 puffs? That is 90,000 milliliters (ml) of smoke than to about 500-600 ml inhaled in cigarette smoking.