The Truth about Shisha and Hookah

Partly as a result of the introduction of smoking bans in many countries and locations worldwide and partly as a result of the success of health organisations in publicising the health impacts of smoking cigarettes, the smoking of shisha appears to be on the rise. Shisha is the Arabic term for a form of smoking in which tobacco fruits or molasses are evaporated and subsequently inhaled by means of a water pipe, also known as a shisha. An alternative name for shisha is Hookah, which is the Indian name for both the practice and the pipe itself.

The practice of shisha arose in the Mughal Empire in the 16^th Century following the European introduction of tobacco from the Americas. From Northern India the practice spread to the Middle East and the rest of India. Then as now it was considered that passing the tobacco smoke through water would somehow ‘purify’ it.

As the health effects of shisha are generally less well known and understood than the effects of cigarettes, the practice has been generally considered a ‘lighter’ or ‘healthier’ form of smoking. This perception is heightened by the fact that smoking shisha is generally a much more relaxed and social experience than cigarette smoking. A wide variety of shisha flavours reinforces the perception that shisha is harmless fun.

Up until recently, the relative low level of shisha use in the West meant that there were few studies into the health impacts. However, a recent World Heath Organisation (WHO) report suggests that the health effects of smoking shisha are extremely serious. The key findings of this report were:

- Shisha smokers can inhale more than 100 times the level of tobacco smoke in a shisha session compared with one cigarette.

- Smoking shisha delivers nicotine to the smoker and promotes addiction.

- Smoking shisha can have the same passive smoking effects as smoking cigarettes.

- Despite the popular conception that shisha is safer than smoking cigarettes, there is no evidence to suggest that the water pipe used reduces the smoker’s exposure to harmful toxins and carcinogens.

- Shisha smoke could cause harmful effects in pregnant women.

Furthermore, evidence from other studies suggests that fumes from the coals used to evaporate the tobacco increase the smoker’s exposure to harmful substances. Studies carried out in the Middle East suggest that shisha smokers are at higher risk of developing gum disease than cigarette smokers, and five times more likely to develop gum disease than non-smokers.

While there is still an identified need to do further studies the evidence of existing reports is compelling and strongly indicates that smoking shisha is very dangerous and certainly not a safe alternative to cigarette smoking. Smoking in general is a dangerous practice and there are no truly safe ways to smoke. Even worse, smoking shisha is addictive and can promote and lead to cigarette smoking. If you are a shisha user there is plenty of help available online and offline to help you quit this dangerous habit and greatly improve your personal health.

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