How Harmful is Hookah and Are Hookahs More Harmful Than Cigarettes?

Health is paramount to all of us, so it is important to be aware of the possible dangers of hookah smoking to handle it responsibly.

There are many articles online that deal with how harmful hookah smoke is and extensively discuss the dangers of water pipes. However, there are no good long-term studies on smoking hookahs, which makes a factual discussion basis difficult.

But let's face it, all gaseous substances that you breathe in that are not fresh air will affect your health more or less harmfully over time.

Are Hookahs Harmful?

Smoking is harmful to your health, one way or another. There are some harmful substances that are contained in cigarette tobacco that are not present in hookah tobacco, there are some substances that are only in small amounts in hookah tobacco that are much higher in cigarette tobacco, but the same is also true vice versa.

However, the amount of carbon monoxide, tar, and nicotine is much higher than in cigarettes. This also has to do with how much tobacco fits in the hookah bowl . Nicotine is dangerous in that it raises blood pressure and thereby increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, hookah tobacco contains a higher concentration of benzene, which is particularly carcinogenic.

Especially poisonous for humans is carbon monoxide, which comes about by lighting the coal and burning the tobacco. Therefore, if hookah is smoked in enclosed spaces without adequate ventilation, it can lead to mild to severe symptoms of poisoning such as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and grogginess.

If the concentration of carbon monoxide exceeds a certain level, it can lead to unconsciousness, and an especially high concentration of carbon monoxide can even lead to death. If you notice symptoms of poisoning in yourself, it helps to stop smoking and ventilate well before serious symptoms of poisoning occur.

Are There Other Health Effects?

Hookah smoking carries significant health risks, including an increased risk for respiratory diseases, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension. These risks underscore the importance of taking the potential dangers of hookah smoking seriously.

Is Smoking Hookah More Harmful Than Smoking Cigarettes?

Not only the ingredients of the tobacco are important, a hookah is smoked differently than for example cigarettes. Typically, you inhale much deeper and longer with a water pipe, which has to do with the fact that you pull harder on the mouthpiece of a hookah than on a cigarette and the smoke cooled by the water makes it much easier and deeper to inhale.

Is the Smoke Filtered Through the Water in the Hookah?

The water primarily cools the smoke, making it more pleasant to breathe than regular smoke. This allows it to go deeper into the lungs and is usually held in the lungs longer than cigarette smoke would be. Some substances are dissolved in the water of a hookah, thus not reaching the lungs, but most substances contained in the smoke remain unaffected.

Conclusion: How Harmful Is Smoking Hookah Compared to Cigarettes?

Long-term, the smoke from a water pipe increases the risk for chronic lung diseases and cancer. Additionally, the nicotine in the smoke is addictive.

Generally, with hookah consumption: The dose makes the poison. Harmful substances in smokable products do not harm you immediately. Only over a longer period does it become apparent how harmful tobacco is. Whether hookah tobacco is processed for a water pipe or a cigarette, it doesn't really matter.

If you meet with friends once a week to enjoy a casual round of one or two bowls, it is unlikely to have the effects on your life that smoking a pack of cigarettes daily would have.

However, the best consumption for your health is no consumption. But of course, the same also applies to all other pleasure substances. So if you still plan to indulge in a hookah bowl now and then, manage your consumption responsibly.