Hookah smoking is a centuries old practice that originated in India, where individuals use water pipes to smoke tobacco. In recent decades, it has become popular in the west among young adults with a variety of flavors such as apple, chocolate and mint. Some people may assume hookah smoking is “safe” or less harmful than cigarette smoking, but it poses many of the same health risks. Hookah smoke has been linked to more than 80 toxic chemicals and cancer-causing substances. Many of these are the same toxic components that are found in cigarette smoke, such as nicotine, tar and heavy metals. Hookah smoking is NOT a safe alternative to cigarette smoking.

Hookah Basics

• Hookah is also called narghile, argileh, shisha, hubble-bubble and goza.
• Hookahs vary in size, shape and style.
• A typical modern hookah has a head (with holes in the bottom), a metal body, a water bowl and a flexible hose with a mouthpiece.
• Hookahs work by passing charcoal-heated air through a tobacco mixture and through a water-filled chamber.
• Hookah smoking is typically done in group settings where users inhale the smoke through a tube and mouthpiece. Additionally, the same mouthpiece is passed usually between persons.

Hookah Health Effects

Hookah smoking can lead to severe health problems such as:

• Cancers:
  • Lung
  • Bladder
  • Stomach
  • Esophageal
  • Oral
• Heart disease
• Lung diseases
• Reduced lung function
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Decreased fertility

Other Harmful Effects

• Using an unclean hookah pipe increases the chance for diseases.
• Sharing a contaminated pipe with other smokers can lead to infections such as:
  • Influenza (the flu)
  • Tuberculosis
  • Herpes
  • Hepatitis
  • COVID-19

Quitting Hookah 

Hookah smoking exposes you to nicotine and can lead to addiction. You can use different strategies to quit hookah smoking.

Approaches to help you quit hookah smoking include:

• Educating yourself more about the dangers of hookah smoking and understanding misconceptions surrounding hookah smoking such as that it is ‘safer’ than cigarette smoking.
• Finding an alternative healthy activity for your social group to participate in rather than hookah smoking such as attending a sporting event or dining out.
• Joining smoking cessation programs or attending counseling and support groups.

Once you have quit and committed to a tobacco-free life, you will significantly lower your risk of developing chronic conditions and improve your overall quality of life. Check out quit resources here.