Hookah Smoking Health Risk

Hookah smoking is an old tradition from India. Its initial traces have been found in the state of Rajasthan and Gujarat. From India, Hookah smoking tradition went towards Middle East and has gained popularity in the Arab world where it is known in different local names.

In Iran, the hookah is known as Ghalyan. In Egypt and Morocco it got the name Shisha. In Israel, Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon it is known as Nargile or nargila, while in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates hookah was named Hubble bubble. In the contemporary times, Hookah smoking made its way towards western countries, where hookah bars have been growing in popularity. Hookah bars are generally seen as a social place, where people discuss on latest issues such as several local events and politics.

A hookah consist of a number of components, which four essential components are a water pipe with a smoke chamber, a bowl, a pipe and a hose. The bowl is a container that holds the coal and specially made tobacco. Lit coals allows the tobacco to heat to the proper temperature. The smoke passes through water jar and is then drawn through a rubber hose to a mouthpiece.

Effects of smoking on human health have been extensively studied worldwide. In particularly, research about hookah smoking health risk is still emerging. More scientific research was needed into the link between hookah use and a number of fatal illnesses. However, Hookah smoking is not a safer alternative to cigarette smoking. According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), Hookah smoking may pose the same health risks as cigarettes.

Recent studies about hookah smoking found some evidence that contrary to popular belief among Hookah smokers that the smoke is significantly less dangerous than that from cigarettes. Richard D. Hurt, M.D. from the Mayo Clinic have stated that use of hookah is equally detrimental to a person's health as smoking cigarettes.

A study on hookah smoking and cancer in Pakistan entitled Hookah smoking and cancer: carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels in exclusive/ever hookah smokers by Pakistan researchers Khan Mohammad Sajid, Kamal Chaouachi, and Rubaida Mahmood, published in Harm Reduction Journal in 2008 have shown that even traditional hookah smoking has fewer carcinogenic effects than cigarette smoking, what is hazardous with tobacco use in hookah is the smoke. The study also concluded that heavy hookah smoking (2–4 daily preparations; 3–8 sessions a day ; 2 to 6 hours) substantially raises CEA levels. A 60-minutes hookah session typically consists of 50 to 200 inhalations that each range from 0.15 to 0.50 liters of smoke. Hookah smokers can inhale more than 100 times more smoke in a hookah session than in a single cigarette, and about 70% more nicotine.