COMPOSITION. The tobacco used in shisha weighs 20 to 30g and it has 3 main forms.
- MU'ESSEL. Contains 30 % tobacco and 70% honey.
- TUMBAK. Is a pure, dark paste of tobacco.
- JURAK. Which contains fruits or oils.
Studies have shown that shisha smokers have reported high concentration of nicotine, carbon monoxide, tar and heavy metals in their blood.
HAZARDS OF SHISHA. Unfortunately most Shisha smokers are unaware of its harmful effects. Most shisha sellers misguide their customers that it is merely a flavored smoke and there is no tobacco in it. In fact, shisha smoker may inhale as much smoke during one session as a cigarette smoker would inhale consuming 100 or more cigarettes.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released an eye-opener report on consequences of shisha use. A commonly held belief is that shisha is harmless as the smoke first passes through water before it is inhaled. Even after passing through water, shisha contains a high level of toxins.
Tobacco used in such water pipes is often sweetened and flavored, making it very appealing to children and teenagers. A recent survey done on youngsters of school-going age in Karachi, showed that almost 70% students had tried shisha in the past six months.
WHO has strongly recommended that healthcare professionals must educate the public about the dangers of shisha as the sharing of shisha between people poses an additional risk of TB, herpes, meningitis and hepatitis transmission.
MYTHS AND TRUTHS.
MYTH #1: Hookah smoke is filtered through water so it filters out any harmful ingredients.
TRUTH #1: Smoking tobacco through water does not filter out cancer-causing chemicals. Water-filtered smoke can damage the lungs and heart as much as cigarette smoke.
MYTH #2: Inhaling hookah smoke does not burn the lungs because is cooled through the water in the base of the hookah.
TRUTH #2: Even though the smoke is cooled, it still contains carcinogens and so it is unhealthy.
MYTH #3: Smoking shisha is healthier than smoking cigarettes.
TRUTH #3: Shisha/Hookah smoke is as dangerous as cigarette smoke. Cigarette smoke is generated by burning tobacco directly, while hookah smoke is produced by heating tobacco in a bowl using charcoal. The end product is the same i.e. smoke, containing carcinogens.
MYTH #4: Shisha smoking does not lead to addiction as a cigarette does because there is no nicotine.
TRUTH #4: Just like regular cigarette, shisha also contains nicotine. In fact, in a 60-minute hookah session, smokers are exposed to 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette.
MYTH #5: Herbal shisha is healthier than regular shisha.
TRUTH #5: Just like smoking herbal or "natural" cigarettes, herbal shisha exposes the smoker to tar and carcinogens.
OTHER FACTS.
- Compared to a single cigarette, hookah smoke is known to contain:
->Higher levels of arsenic, lead, and nickel.
->36 times more tar.
->15 times more carbon monoxide.
- Smoking hookah requires longer and harder drags, increasing levels of inhaled nicotine and carcinogens in the lungs.
- The longer the hookah session, the more nicotine and toxins one accumulates in.
- A 45 to 60 minute hookah session exposes the smoker to approximately the same amount of tar and nicotine as one pack of cigarettes.
- Sharing mouth-pieces without washing them can increase the risk of spreading colds, flu, and infections—even oral herpes.
- Risks of smoking hookahs include Lung cancer, heart disease and dental diseases.
- Even being in Shisha bar and not smoking can indirectly expose the person to all above risk factors.
Keeping above facts in mind, it is clear that going to a Shisha bar is like stepping in a death well…!! Whether you smoke or just sit in that smoky atmosphere is equally hazardous. This silent killer may engulf your dreams and future and one may remain in a flavored dilemma only.
Engr. Muhib Nabi
Production Engineer - Electrical
Gulbahar Tobacco International FZE
Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai, UAE.
muhibnabi@live.com
muhibnabi@gmail.com
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