‘Ohh.. I hate smoking but I take hookah, because it is safe!’
How often do we listen to this as an answer to do you smoke? When sitting in one of those posh sheesha bars, we all face this dilemma. Is hookah better than cigarettes? Is it really just natural flavour and no tobacco?
It is high time Indian hookah-loving youth know some facts about sheesha smoking vs. cigarette smoking.
Fact 1: Hookah has nicotine
Unlike the common presumption, hookah is not entirely nicotine free. A hookah has 0.5 mg of nicotine as compared to 10 mg in a cigarette. But when we take a hookah puff the smoke that comes out is 10 times stronger that a single cigarette puff.
Fact 2: Hookah lasts longer
A cigarette last for 5 minutes maximum, whereas, a hookah can last for 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. The coal that can be changed two to three times also elongates the smoking time. A cigarette gives 0.5 liters of smoke in the entire duration. Now add a thick pipe to that cigarette and imagine smoking for one hour! That is how harmful hookah is, ahookah disseminates approximately about 50 liters of smoke.
Fact 3: Hookah has more monoxide
Yes, hookah has carbon monoxide much like their cigarette counterparts. As a pipe is used to inhale the coal, carbon monoxide is produced. What is worse is that the longevity of the session. In about an hour, during a hookah session a body inhales about 10 times more carbon monoxide than cigarettes.
Fact 4: Hookah smokers die younger than their cigarette counterparts
Amazing fact! Isn’t it obvious? After all hookah smokers have at least 2 packets of cigarettes in a single session.
Fact 5: Hookah stinks more than cigarettes
Hookah bars have so much smoke that the stink clings to your skin and hair. Sometimes the stink gets absorbed into your hair that even after hair washing it can linger behind.
So the next time you pick up the pipe remember you are a bigger smoking addict than a cigarette smoker!
