What are the pros and cons of using a Hookah?

23/03/2011 admin 10 comments

I already asked this question in the Society & Culture section but didn’t get enough answers. While I appreciated the answers very much, I would really appreciate it if anyone with knowledge about Hookahs, good or bad, will share their opinions of hookah smoking with me. My 18-year-old son recently purchased a hookah & assures me it is safe, despite the very small amount of tobacco used. To me it looks like a bong. My son doesn’t smoke cigarettes, take drugs or drink alcohol. He has smoked an occasional cigar since he turned 18, but believes smoking in general is unhealthy. This is why he justifies hookahs. He says they are refreshing and help him to feel relaxed. I’ve researched them, but all I can discover is that coffee houses often have them, they are the rage w/teens and young adults, and they are harmless for the most part. Still, tobacco is tobacco & I can’t help thinking this is unsafe. I welcome and appreciate any opinions from those who’ve used one to anyone else.
For anyone not sure what a hookah is, it isn’t a female prostitute! It is a bong-like device used to inhale/suck in vapors/smoke that is flavored. Also, I appreciate all answers, including the hooker one (cute), but I want to say that my son is very health conscious & also very open with me about stuff. He has always been very opinionated against drugs of any form & wouldn’t consider doing drugs. So that isn’t the issue. He just likes the mellow feeling he has after smoking. I keep thinking this is very unhealthy & he says it’s safer than cigarettes. He’s 18 & thinks he knows it all & I’m 45 & clueless about this sort of thing. I just want to be informed so that I can talk to him more about this. Thanks again for all your answers. I truly appreciate it!
While I couldn’t find anything at the Surgeon General’s website as one person suggested, I’m glad it was suggested because it got me to thinking about the American Lung Assn (ALA) According to the ALA, hookah smoking that lasts 45-50 minutes, versus the 5-10 minutes of cigarette smoking is equivalent to inhaling as much smoke as a person smoking 100 or more cigarettes during a single session. Yikes!! According to the ALA, hookah smoking is at LEAST as toxic as cigarette smoking. Additionally, many sources of heating the liquid in a hookah can create carbon monoxide gases that are being inhaled as well. The article also says that existing evidence shows that hookah smoking (they call it waterpipe smoking) carries many of the same health risks & is linked to many of the same diseases caused by cigarette smoking. I want to thank you all for your help with this. The website I found can be accessed in PDF format at: http://www.lungusa2.org/embargo/slati/Trendalert_Waterpipes.pdf

ALCOHOLISM TREATMENT cons, Hookah, pros, using

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Written by wishiwasntme about 1 year ago.

acutally in all honesty and reality, hookas are much worse than ciggs, because you inhale the tabaccoo fresh, without any filters…ciggs are bad too, but atleast they have filters, and some of the natural unhealthy aspects of it ARE in fact removed, but hookas use fresh tabaccoo…. no company removed any of the bad ingredients.
Written by pegasus 1551 about 1 year ago.

pros- not having to say you love them, not having to buy them gifts, not having to send them flowers or cards.

cons- using them can get expensive over time, danger of catching STDs, can be habit forming over time.
Written by DayinthePark about 1 year ago.

He may be dropping a little opium in his Hookah, Mom. It wouldn’t be the first time a young person has done this. Pay attention.
Written by VERSAILLES about 1 year ago.

Yes Tobacco IS tobacco IS tobacco.And if he’s not allowed to smoke it,he’s not allowed.
Written by justice 4 all about 1 year ago.

People are in denial and still very misinformed. Hookah’s still give off carcinogens that are cancerous. Go to the Surgeon Generals web page on smoking and put smoking Hookah’s in the search engine. Any type of smoking is hazardous to your health
Written by Dana F about 1 year ago.

You’re correct in thinking that tobacco is tobacco, and therefore is unhealthy. However, the tobacco used in hookahs is much less potent than that in cigarettes and cigars. The smoke is weaker and if he uses flavored tobacco, it doesn’t smell as bad. An 18 year old could be doing much dangerous things…don’t worry about it. If your sons uses it very, very frequently problems may develop, but if it’s only a recreational activity the smoke is less dangerous than secondhand cigarette smoke.
Written by Nite Net about 1 year ago.

I would really pay attention to what he’s smoking in that hookah.
In high school a lot of my buddies would conceal their drug use by applying flavored tobacco in the hookah with a small amount of Marijuana.

The water supposedly causes the smoke to cool, allowing one to get higher.

As for the health risks… well, that’s subjective. Tobacco is tobacco.

However; If smoked correctly, the tobacco will be steamed more tan burnt (and other things will be burnt.)
Written by M about 1 year ago.

I have heard they are safe”er” in terms of the same risks for cancer as smoking any tobacco. But their safety is in that there’s a slightly lower risk of lung cancer but a greater risk of mouth cancer because of the way they’re puffed not as deeply into the lungs as cigarettes. More akin to smoking a cigar. So I’ve heard. I smoke cigarettes and have smoked cigars and there is a difference.

But still it’s still tobacco, which is addictive and bad for you, whether it’s rolled or hooka’d or smoked in a pipe, snuffed, chewed…
Written by Stuie about 1 year ago.

Let me address this to you personally. I have been smoking the hookah for over 6 years.

First let’s tackle what he said first. Small amount of tobacco? It is all tobacco. Shisha is Flavored tobacco, Complete tobacco.

Cons:
This is a tobacco smoking product, despite these fictional statistics people spout, a typical smoking session lasting 45-60 minutes is equivalent in tobacco consumption of 2.5 Cigarettes. Excessive use will give way to the tempation to smoke cigarettes. It does for me as a former cigarette smoker. It can cause cancer and emphazemia just like any other tobacco product. Alcohol is often placed in the base for a larger buzz.

Pros:
There are no pros in a sense. For me and my friends it’s social. It also feels great like you get from a cigarette or mixed drink.

Other factors:
He is 18. I would explain your concerns to him. If he’s living with you, ask him not to do it in the house. It can be expensive if you buy premium tobacco and coals and move from a starter hookah to a premium hookah.
Written by milleresque about 1 year ago.

There are a few advantages to smoking a hookah over cigarettes. First, when set up correctly (ie., the coal isn’t up against the tobacco) the tobacco will be heated as opposed to burnt directly with a flame, and thusly gives off fewer carcinogens. Since it’s filtered through water, a lot of the extra impurities are filtered out and the smoke gets cooled down. Also, the tobacco for a hookah is generally somewhat “healthier” (if a may use such a word) since it’s less processed and has fewer additives that cigarette tobacco. Of course, inhaling smoke of any kind, even campfire smoke or whatever, isn’t great for you, but in moderation, a hookah smoke is usually a better choice. Most people smoke it for the flavor, not the “buzz”, since it comes in a variety of flavors, like strawberry, chocolate, mint…pretty much any flavor you can think of. If your concerned about nicotine, you can buy filters online that fit into the hoses and filters out the nicotine. Also, you can buy diffusers that fit over the end of the stem to break the bubbles into smaller bubbles as it goes through the water. Sounds pretty simple, but it helps a lot to improve flavor, plus cool down the smoke even more to keep it from being hot and harsh – which could potentially damage your cilia in your lungs (like cigarettes do with every inhale). Both items cost less than $10. Putting ice in with the water helps cool it too. Of course, not smoking is always better than any kind of smoking.

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What are the pros and cons of using a Hookah?

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