Misconception: hookah is less toxic than cigarettes

Shisha masks the harmfulness of its tobacco smoke behind the myth of water filtration and the addition of sweet flavors. Shisha smoke is in reality, like that of any tobacco product, deadly.[1]. Hookahs use a heat source usually made from lit charcoal which produces significant amounts of toxic substances at the time of combustion. Tobacco molasses burns slowly as users inhale the smoke through pipes that pass through a water chamber. The mouthpiece is used by multiple people, which can be a source of contamination by infectious diseases such as herpes. The sweet molasses intended for smoking is strongly flavored with the taste of fruit or candy, which mainly attracts a young population, unaware of the risks, and who do not always have the impression of consuming tobacco.

As a reminder, a shisha session is equivalent to[2] :

Nicotine: 1.5 cigarettes

Carbon monoxide: 20 cigarettes

Tars: 26 cigarettes

Volume of smoke inhaled: 40 cigarettes

One gram of shisha tobacco releases between 24 and 80 mg of tar (1), while a cigarette releases 10 mg.[3].

Contrary to popular belief, passing smoke through water does not reduce the risks but rather increases them. In fact, water cools the smoke, which makes it easier for smokers to inhale more deeply and more frequently. In addition, in the smoke, the harmful substances from tobacco are added to those from the combustion of coal.

Often collective, a shisha session also exposes you to passive smoking and its specific health risks, because a large quantity of smoke is exhaled over a long period.

©Tobacco Free Generation