Considering hookah as a safer option for smoking has been a common misconception among people across the world and it has also grown in popularity over the years.
But the trend might not be as risk free as it has been made out to be, since doctors say hookah’s can cause cancer more easily than smoking cigarettes.
Delhi based cardiologist Amar Singh said, “Second-hand smoke from hookahs can also be a health risk for non-smokers. It contains smoke from the tobacco as well as smoke from the heat source used in the hookah. Since hookah involves inhaling a large amount of smoke in a short span of time, the damage done to the lungs is high and can cause wheezing, meningitis and acute bronchitis.”
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mentions that an hour long hookah smoking session involves 200 puffs, while smoking a cigarette leads to 20 puffs. Doctors also said that just like cigarette smokers, hookah smokers can be at risk of oral cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, cancer of the esophagus, reduced lung function and decreased fertility.
Many have complained of symptoms like pain in chest while breathing and change in colour of sputum due to smoking hookah. Psychiatrist Sudhir Khandelwal said that any form of tobacco consumption such as hookah, cigarette and chewing betel leaves does similar damage.
He added, “Compared to a single cigarette, hookah smoke contains higher levels of arsenic, lead, and nickel. It produces 36 times more tar and 15 times more carbon monoxide than cigarettes, as smoking a hookah requires longer and harder drags.”
