From time to time we receive questions from customers as to whether or how much nicotine is contained in hookah tobacco.
The answer will probably not surprise anyone: Yes, there is nicotine in tobacco, and this also applies to hookah tobacco, as hookah tobacco is basically based on the same tobacco plants as those used in cigarettes or pipes. The differences between cigarette, pipe and hookah tobacco therefore lie solely in the processing of the raw materials. The tobacco is impregnated with molasses or flavorings and glycerine for smoking in a hookah, giving it a different texture than other types of tobacco.
It is therefore not surprising that hookah tobacco also contains nicotine.
In fact, these figures are quite interesting.
Hookah tobacco contains an average of 0.26% nicotine based on dry weight, which seems low compared to other tobacco products (1-2.5% nicotine concentration). However, the amount of nicotine absorbed during hookah smoking is often greater than with a cigarette due to the duration and depth of smoking.
A strong Burley tobacco has an average nicotine content of 3-4%. Meanwhile, lighter Virginia tobacco, after being washed several times, comes down to about 0.05%. The nicotine content is calculated based on the dry tobacco. Since the majority of the weight of hookah tobacco is due to flavors and molasses, the percentage of nicotine content in hookah tobacco is significantly lower than in cigarettes.
Tip: If you are interested in other differences between Virginia tobacco and Burley, read our article: Shisha Hookah tobacco varieties - What is the difference between Burley and Virginia?
According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), smoking a hookah bowl is equivalent to consuming around 100 to 200 cigarettes. This finding underlines the potentially higher harmfulness of hookah smoking compared to cigarette consumption.
On average, a 20 g bowl of pure Virginia tobacco contains around 10 mg of nicotine.
A cigarette contains an average of 13 mg of nicotine per 1 g of tobacco.
However, disposable e-cigarettes actually have the highest nicotine content in percentage terms, with a ratio of 20 mg per ml. If you consider that an e-cigarette contains 2 ml of liquid, you would have to smoke 4 hookah bowls to get the same amount of nicotine.
If you want to know what this means for your health, please read the article: How harmful is hookah smokingon our hookah knowledge section.
When we talk about classic hookah consumption, we're actually always talking about hookah tobacco, but there are also nicotine-free alternatives to tobacco. If you're interested, read this blog article:
Updates: August 15, 2023
