Particularly among young adults and college students, hookah bars and lounges have become popular hangouts. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2008 and 2014, the proportion of hookah smoking among New York City middle school students increased from 9% to 13%, and as many as 16% of high school students and 40% of college students have tried hookah, especially in Spain. The smoking rate among American teenagers has doubled. From these data, we can see that the age of hookah smokers is declining. None, most people are unaware of the risks hookah smoking poses to their health.
Some people even mistakenly believe that hookah is a healthier alternative to cigarettes, which is an extremely erroneous view. Below, I will introduce the dangers of hookah in this blog to give you a clearer understanding of the hidden risks of hookah smoking.
So is hookah really safer than cigarettes?
Let’s not rush to a conclusion, let’s look at some data first
the tar content is 36 times higher than that of cigarettes, and the carbon monoxide content is 15 times higher. (U of Maryland study).
In a 60-minute hookah session, smokers inhale over 90,000 ml of smoke, compared to 500-600 ml from smoking a cigarette (WHO study).
Hookah smoke contains higher concentrations of toxic metals like arsenic, lead and chromium compared to cigarettes (WHO).
Hookah smoking approximately doubles the nicotine compared to exposure to smoking a single cigarette (University of Pittsburgh).
The charcoal used to heat the tobacco in hookahs produces high levels of carbon monoxide, methane, and other toxins (AUB study).
One hour-long hookah smoking session delivers 25 times the tar, 10 times the carbon monoxide and 2.5 times the nicotine as a single cigarette (WHO).
Daily hookah use is equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes per day for lung cancer risk (Iranian study).
Hookah secondhand smoke contains many of the same harmful components at similar concentrations as cigarette secondhand smoke (Mayo Clinic).
From the above data we can see that hookah is more harmful than cigarettes
How many cigarettes is one hookah equal to?
A normal one-hour hookah session entails inhaling 100–200 times the amount of smoke as a single cigarette, according to the CDC. The smoke still has significant levels of heavy metals, compounds that cause cancer, and carbon monoxide even after it has passed through water. Not only that but according to another study from the University of Pittsburgh, hookah smokers consume even more nicotine during a single puff than regular smokers. This will expose users to a large amount of nicotine in a short period of time and build dependence in a short period of time, So what harm will such a terrifying intake of nicotine do to our bodies?
How harmful is hookah smoking?
When smoked through a hookah, tobacco releases toxic chemicals like tar, heavy metals, and cancer-causing compounds just as traditional cigarettes do. In fact, hookah smoke contains higher levels of many of these toxins according to research from the CDC and Mayo Clinic. These toxins can cause lung, bladder, and oral cancers and have been linked to reduced lung function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The biggest danger comes from the massive amount of smoke inhaled. During an hour-long hookah session, users may take 50-200 puffs, inhaling about 1-2 packs worth of cigarette smoke. Because of this, hookah users are more likely to develop lung cancer, heart disease, nicotine addiction, and other serious illnesses linked to cigarette smoking. but The dangers of hookah are far from that. I have listed other dangers below.
Oral Health Risks
The toxins in hookah smoke can also cause gum disease, tooth loss, and oral cancer.
Cardiovascular Risks
Smoke contains tar, carbon monoxide, nicotine, and heavy metals such as lead and arsenic. This can lead to arterial narrowing and atherosclerosis, where fatty components accumulate in the arteries and cause narrowing. These changes in the cardiovascular system can lead to various heart diseases
Risks During Pregnancy
For pregnant women, hookah smoking poses significant dangers to the developing fetus. Hookah toxins can interfere with fetal development and cause premature birth, low birth weight, and birth defects.
spread of infectious diseases
Hookah pipes also spread contagious illnesses like herpes and hepatitis through contact with shared mouthpieces. These viruses will multiply in hookah pipes. Recently, there has been an outbreak of oral herpes in my area related to shared hookah pipes. The reason for the outbreak is that the hookah pipes were not cleaned properly, which caused the virus to spread among users, so this needs to be paid great attention to.
Jesse Miller is our lead content writer on global-hookah. He has worked on global-hookah for twelve years, so he has a lot of knowledge about hookahs.As a hookah enthusiast, he has personally experienced the benefits of hookah. Therefore, he will spend more time writing better and more detailed articles to help hookah beginnersAbout the Author
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