Users and non-users believe that smoking tobacco through a water filter makes it less harmful and non-addictive. A myth that needs to be uncovered.
Cigarettes and hookah share some of the same ingredients, and the same health risks. There is an urgent need to spread awareness on the consequences to teenagers & public at large on the use of hookah. They don’t consider it as a form of smoking.
Health Hazards
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning against this “mode of smoking” stating that users of hookah absorb higher concentrations of toxins found in cigarettes because they puff more, inhale deeper and smoke for longer periods of time.
- The charcoal used to heat tobacco increases health risks because charcoal produces high levels of carbon monoxide, metals and cancer-causing chemicals.
- Smoking hookah, you lead to the same diseases as smoking cigarettes – including lung, oral and esophageal cancers, heart disease, stroke and emphysema.
- As it is more of a social activity & cultural activity, and smokers pass it from one person to the other due to which bacteria and viruses can be passed around with the hose used for inhaling. Some common diseases include herpes, hepatitis and tuberculosis.
People who are not participating in the activity inhale second-hand smoke, which harms their health. To top it all off, kids are mixing other illicit substances, like marijuana, in with the tobacco and smoking it.
There is an increasing need to spread awareness among teens about hookahs. Parents should show their teens the statistics of the carcinogens found in hookah smoke. Don’t personally use hookah or any other form of tobacco, as that sends a message of acceptability to children and teenagers.
