Is Smoking Hookah Bad for You

In 2017, a poll found that 2.6 million Americans had smoked hookah that year. And that figure marked a doubling from a number taken only a few years prior. 

Considering the marked popularity of hookah then, we can only assume that more people than ever are smoking it. 

With more and more partaking in the Middle Eastern pastime, you may be wondering, “Is smoking hookah bad for you?” You know the answer when it comes to traditional cigarettes — could hookah be different? 

Here’s what you need to know. 

What’s Hookah?

Perhaps you’re here because you’ve heard about hookah smoking and want to know what it is, first and foremost. 

Firstly, you want to know what is in a hookah. Hookah is a water pipe, smoke chamber, hose, and a pipe. Once you light the hookah, it heats the tobacco, sending it through the water chamber and into the pipe for smoking. 

Hookah smoke can come in flavors from coffee to mint to strawberry to licorice. But don’t let the sweet taste fool you — hookah has many of the same health effects as cigarettes. 

What Are the Health Risks?

You might’ve heard some debate on hookah vs. cigarettes. Some people think that the latter is much more dangerous than the former. However, both apparatuses contain tobacco — and that’s where the health issues arise. 

Hookah and Cancer

There are direct links between hookah and cancer. For starters, the charcoal used to light the smoking device produces carbon monoxide and other cancer-causing chemicals. You breathe that in as it creates heat and smoke. 

Then, there’s the tobacco in the hookah. In its smoke form, it can cause oral, lung, and even bladder cancers. The tobacco juice that drips from the pipe can also contribute to oral cancer. 

Hookah and Heart Disease

These same toxic ingredients can contribute to heart disease, as well. They can build up in arteries, which is damaging to the cardiovascular system. 

Hookah and Pregnancy

Pregnant women can hurt their unborn babies if they smoke hookah during gestation. Little ones born to moms who smoked weighed at least 3.5 ounces than their healthy peers. Some babies are more prone to respiratory disease if their moms smoke. 

Hookah Hurts Others

Hookah produces secondhand smoke, which is dangerous in any capacity. But hookah’s smoke contains both tobacco and the toxins from the charcoal — and, altogether, that’s a deadly combination. 

You can also pass on diseases through the hookah pipe. That’s because multiple people will usually sit around and share a single hookah. 

Other Hookah Smoking Truths to Consider

Hookah smoke is damaging to your lungs, heart, and more. But the act of smoking hookah makes it more dangerous than cigarettes in a few crucial ways. 

For one thing, a hookah session lasts longer than a cigarette-smoking session — 200 puffs in the former, compared to 20 per cigarette. You also inhale more smoke than you do when you smoke a single cigarette. 

Because you smoke longer and ingest more, you take in more of the toxic substances that make cigarette-smoking a no-no. 

Is Smoking Hookah Bad For You?

With all of this information in mind, you already know the answer to your question, “Is smoking hookah bad for you?” But only you can make decisions for your body and health. So, read the above information and decide if smoking hookah is for you.

Check our blog often to learn more about health and wellness.