What is a hookah?
A hookah is a water pipe that is made especially for smoking tobacco. Tobacco typically comes in different varieties such as strawberry, cola, raspberry, lemon-lime, cocoa, candy, banana, apple, liqueur, and other fruity mixtures.
Hookahs differ in size, form, and style. The configuration of a traditional hookah water pipe involves tobacco as well as coal pot, an ashtray for collecting the ashes, a mouthpiece hose for pulling the smoke in and enabling it to settle, and a water tank for cooling and humidifying the cigarette smoke. Hookah smoking is also a social activity in Hookah Bars with users sharing the same mouthpiece throughout the party, particularly with young adults.
Many people believe that hookah smoking is safer than cigars, but it is a misconception because it is also dangerous to your health. Certain hookah types include-:
- Shisha
- Narghi
- Bute
- Argileh
- Shisha
- Hubble-bubble
But, if you are a cigar lover, then you can buy cigars from the cigar store near you. You will find several options there to choose according to your taste.
How many cigars equivalent an hour of hookah smoking?
Hookah smoke that you inhale contains almost 36 times as much tar as cigars, 15 times as much carbon monoxide, and almost 80% more nicotine than a cigar. Smokers in hookah will ingest more pollutants and chemicals that trigger cancer as compared to tobacco. An hour of hookah tobacco smoking is equivalent to 40 to 400 cigarettes smoking, based on puffing duration, inhalation intensity, and how long the hookah session continues.
Are hookahs better than cigarette smoking?
Many people who use hookahs claim that smoking hookah is better than cigar smoking because the smoke from nicotine is absorbed into the water to render it healthier. It is not true. As we stated above, hookah smoking also contains the same toxins as cigars include-:
- Tar
- Nicotine
- Carbon monoxide
- Heavy metals
- Other chemicals which cause cancer.
The smoking hookah has been linked with cardiovascular risks and conditions such as lung cancer, low birth weight, respiratory illness, and periodontal disorder, close to cigarette smoke. The World Health Organisation ( WHO ) estimates a hookah smoking session that exposes smokers to more smoke than cigarette smoking for a longer period of time, exposing consumers to potentially higher concentrations of the same pollutants and carcinogens as cigarette smoke.
Are hookahs like cigarettes so addictive?
Both products are dangerous for your health, don’t think that if you can go with Hookah, then there is no risk of developing serious health conditions.
Certain diseases and health problems caused due to Hookah and cigar smoking including:
- Lung, oral, stomach, bladder, and esophageal cancer.
- Heart problems.
- Periodontal disease
- Decreased fertility
- Low birth weight babies
- Babies with respiratory disease
- Exposure to infection
- Headaches, nausea, dizziness, and confusion.