Recently, more and more often you can hear about such a hobby as smoking a hookah. This entertainment, which is very common in the Arab countries, has gained its popularity mainly due to the fact that many people think that hookah carries less danger than a cigarette. However, experts in this area believe that smoking a hookah is harmful. Is it really? And what is the negative impact of smoking on the human body ?
Hookah: harmful or not?
It's no secret that cigarette smoking is harmful to human health and is the cause of many diseases. But then many doubt whether the hookah is harmful. But they have not so little in common.
Everyone knows about the nicotine addiction that results from smoking cigarettes, but few realize that addiction to hookah also occurs.
If smoking hookah exceeds 3 times a week, then there is a risk of nicotine addiction (60%). If you do this no more than 3 times, then most likely you will not become addicted (90% of 100). However, do not forget that each person is individual. Having smoked just a couple of times, you can forever be the "hostage" of this
bad habit. Moreover, in a hookah often used prohibited for use components that cause drug addiction.
As for the impact of hookah on the human body, it is not so simple as it seems at first glance. And special attention should be paid to secondhand smoke. It harms health no matter what you choose: a cigarette or a hookah. In both cases, you will expose yourself to nitrogen, carbon monoxide and other tobacco burning products. A combination of hookah with alcohol can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.
What does hookah tobacco consist of?
If you can’t determine if the hookah is harmful, pay attention to what you smoke. Although hookah lovers are not averse to enjoying the sweet smell of fruit, not everyone knows that tobacco is often used for such smoking. It is not always subject to cleaning, therefore, it often has not very high quality. Also its composition includes various dyes, flavors, glycerin, molasses, spices, flavors and other substances. Although hookah tobacco consists of only 142 components (there are 4,700 of them in cigarette smoke), our body is subject to the influence of all its components. After all, a smoking session lasts much longer than a cigarette. Do not forget that we receive a dose of carbon monoxide, which is 15 times higher than the amount of this harmful substance that we inhale when smoking cigarettes. Therefore, when using a hookah more than three times a week, you run the risk of acquiring nicotine addiction. By the way, one hookah is comparable in harmfulness to a hundred cigarettes.
Consequences of smoking
Smoking a hookah in a company can be unsafe if you do not follow the rules of personal hygiene and do not use individual mouthpieces.
After all, saliva is an easy way to transmit pathogenic bacteria and even sexually transmitted diseases.
Is hookah harmful? Myths
1. Cigarettes have a more negative impact on human health than hookah, as they contain more nicotine and tar.
Myth. Indeed, unlike cigarettes, on the packaging of tobacco it is not always possible to see a list of substances that make up its composition. When checking hookah tobacco, it often turns out that it is much more dangerous than cigarette.
2. Hookah is not as dangerous as cigarettes, because the smoke is cleaned with water, milk or wine.
True, but only partially. Liquid cleans smoke. It is able to trap about 90% of phenols and about 50% of solid particles, but it does not cleanse smoke of all harmful substances.
3) Smoking a hookah is not addictive.
Myth. The nicotine content in hookah tobacco suggests that addiction can occur. It all depends on how often you smoke and how much nicotine is in tobacco. It is possible that after using the hookah you will want to smoke a cigarette.
Still wondering if the hookah is harmful? Of course. And if you are worried about yourself and your health, it is better not to start smoking.