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The hookah is bad and even significantly worse than the cigarette

Edited and resized image by Pavel Lozovikov, is available on Unsplash

The hookah (pronounced narghile in Brazil), also known as hookah, narghile or shisha, originates from the Middle East, more specifically from North Africa and South Asia, but it has gained popularity in recent years in the West.

According to a study published by the platform PubMed, nearly a third of young people believe that smoking the hookah is less dangerous than smoking cigarettes. But the truth is that the hookah is bad for you and is even significantly worse than the cigarette. Understand:

Hookah is very bad

According to a survey by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, compared to cigarettes, the same amount of hookah provides 25 times more tar; 125 times more smoke; 2.5 times more nicotine and ten times more carbon monoxide - extremely toxic and carcinogenic substances for the human body.

Other studies have also shown that passive smokers and workers producing hookah inputs are also exposed to these toxic substances.

For hookah smokers, the harmful effects can appear even if the person smokes only on weekends or a few times a month.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a hookah session, lasting one hour - involving 200 puffs - the smoker absorbs 90 thousand ml of smoke. To give you an idea, a cigarette, which is proven to be harmful, provides 600 ml of smoke in 20 puffs.

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However, it is not clear whether hookah smokers are more or less exposed to toxic substances, as this also depends on their habits. However, a study of 1,671 Arab-American teenagers in the Midwest found that hookah smoking during adolescence was correlated with future cigarette use.

long term risks

Whether you're smoking a cigarette or a hookah, the risks are similar. Water from a hookah does not filter out toxins. As with cigarettes, over time, the risk of developing a disease from smoking increases. Among the diseases that this habit can trigger are:

• Complications of pulmonary function such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchitis;
• Increased risk of heart disease such as heart attacks;
• Increased risk of cancer, especially lung, throat and mouth cancer;
• Premature aging, as smoking can reduce the amount of oxygen reaching the skin;
• Increased risk of infectious diseases such as mononucleosis and oral herpes;
• Asthma;
• Infertility;
• Osteoporosis;
• Gingivitis;
• Other Serious Types of Cancer

Many universities have started to raise awareness about the dangers of the hookah, because even if young people are old enough to make their own decisions, there is a good chance they don't have enough information about what they are doing with their bodies. Ensuring that they are educated to make an informed decision about hookah use is everyone's responsibility.

When it comes to comparing a hookah to a cigarette, it all depends on how much a person smokes and how deeply they inhale. But what is certain is that the more flavored the essence, the more toxics are present.