Hookah smoking has been a part of history for approximately 400 years. Typically, those who engage in this social activity do so in a hookah bar or café. In recent years the hookah lounge has made appearances in the United States and Canada. They are very popular among college and university students in the U.S. Even more recently there has been a swell of use most notably among teenagers.
What is a Hookah?
A hookah (or hooka) is a water pipe. These have been used for centuries in Asia and the Middle East to smoke tobacco. The main fuel of this growing trend is found to be among teens and young adults.
A hookah consists of four parts:
- a smoke chamber, or base which is partially filled with water
- a bowl that contains tobacco and the heating source
- a pipe that connects the bowl to the base and dips into the water in the base
- a hose (second tube) in the pipe that does not dip into the water but opens up into the air in the base allowing the user to inhale the smoke
When a smoker inhales through the tube, a pressure difference forces air past the heating source, heating tobacco; therefore, it gives off smoke. The smoke is pulled away from the tobacco and passes through the water into the smoke chamber. Then it is inhaled.
Shisha or Sheesha
Shisha is flavored hookah tobacco. There is a myriad of available flavors including licorice, a wide selection of fruit flavors, mint, rose, herbals, spices, molasses and even cola flavor.
Hookah tobacco is generally 30 percent tobacco and 70 percent fruit flavoring and molasses or honey. These are sold at corner stores and cost on average between $4 and $20 for a 250 gram box.
Health Risks
Hookah smoking is not a risk-free activity. A World Health Organization advisory warns that one hour of hookah smoking exposes the user to 100-200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette. Even after passing through water, tobacco smoke retains high levels of toxic compounds such as carbon monoxide, heavy metals and carcinogens. This form of smoking permits high levels of (the highly addictive) nicotine to be inhaled.
Like smoking cigarettes, users also risk other health ailments such as gum disease and tooth loss.
Hookah smoking involves socially sharing a pipe therefore increasing risk of tuberculosis, viruses such as herpes, hepatitis and other illnesses.
This rapidly growing trend has doctors and public health experts concerned because many doctors feel hookah smoking is just as if not more dangerous than cigarette smoking.
Changes are Swift
In November 2008, elected officials in Detroit, Michigan introduced bills to create a public awareness campaign. These bills will require establishments to provide a health warning to their customers. It will also provide warnings about the need to sanitize the water pipes after each use and prohibit the sale of hookah tobacco to minors.
Somewhat related, on December 4, 2008, the province of Ontario outlawed the sale of candy-flavored cigars known as cigarillos. Politicians believe that these were clearly aimed at getting children hooked on tobacco.
What You can Do
When educating your children about the health dangers of cigarette smoking, be sure to include hookah smoking. Ask your doctor for more information or check credible online sources.
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