6 myths about Hookah debunked

It was back in 1993 when I was doing my military service when in a moment of weakness and stupidity I light my first cigarette, as I describe in my first book “Thirsty for Health “ and also in my article How to quit smoking forever.

I was a cigarette smoker that was my chosen unhealthy way of receiving my poison, nicotine, which I had an addiction to it. Cigarette smokers are drug addicts, and their drug is nicotine. Just because it’s legal doesn’t change the fact that nicotine is even more addictive than the so-called hard drugs like heroin and cocaine, and it kills more people than all the illegal drugs combine.

Thank goodness my moment of realization hit me when I was 35 years old and managed to get rid the slavery of nicotine. I have a book coming out in a few months where I hope will help people who still smoke to get rid of it.

I describe in there of how I manage to escape the prison of nicotine addiction and also all of my attempts until I was successful. I enjoy now for the last seven years smoke free, nicotine free life and I couldn’t be healthier and happier.

I did not experiment with other ways of delivering nicotine in my body like, chewing tobacco, or snus or hookah.

So what is Hookah anyway?

In a nutshell is a water pipe, yep you read right. You use the water pipe to heat the tobacco indirectly, usually with small charcoal. The smoke is filtered through a ball of water and then drawn through a hose to a mouthpiece.

Today I want to talk to you about Hookahs or as they know them in other places of the world Narghile or Narghila, shisha or sheesha, hubbly-bubbly. Goza, borry, and arhile.

It is a common phenomenon is countries like Turkey, India and Egypt and generally in the Middle East to see people mostly men sitting on the street smoking hookah.

The reason I am writing this article is to inform people out there that hookah is not safer than smoking. It’s probably more dangerous and more addictive.

Water pipes are made up of four essential  parts:

• The bowl where the tobacco is heated;
• The base filled with water or other liquids;
• The tube, which connects the bowl to the base; and
• The hose and mouthpiece through which smoke are drawn.

1. Myth

 The smoke from a hookah goes through water so it must be ok because it filters all the bad substances.

1. Fact

Water does not filter out all the harmful chemicals of tobacco and the smoke you inhale does damage your lungs and heart as much as normal cigarettes.

2. Myth

When you inhale in hookah smoke does not burn the lungs so it must be okay

2. Fact

The reason the smoke is not burning the lungs like cigarettes do is that it goes through the water and is cool down. The smoke still contains carcinogen substances and is very unhealthy.

3. Myth

Shisha made out of herbs is healthier than regular Shisha. Shisha is the tobacco (sticky and moist) that was being soaked with honey or molasses and is smoked in a hookah.

3. Fact

Either is regular or Herbal Shisha nothing changes, smoke is smoke or standard or herbal cigarettes, the smoke contains tar and carcinogens.

4. Myth

There is no nicotine in hookah, so you can’t get addicted.

4. Fact

Shisha contains nicotine like regular tobacco. In one hour of Hookah smoking, users are exposed to 100 to 200 times the quantity of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette!!!

It exposes the smoker to approximately to the same amount of tar and nicotine as one pack of cigarettes!!!

5. Myth

Shisha tobacco has fruit inside it so it must be healthy.

5. Fact

Tobacco is tobacco, you can soak it in honey, molasses and any fruit you desire it doesn’t change anything, the fact remains that it contains cancer-promoting chemical substances.

6. Myth

Smoking Hookah is healthier than smoking cigarettes.

6. Fact

The smoke of a hookah is as dangerous as the smoke of a cigarette. It may produce the smoke in a different way, but it doesn’t change the fact that it contains carcinogens and will make you addictive to nicotine.

People that use hookah are exposed to colds, flu, infections and even oral herpes from improper cleaning of the mouthpiece.

Have a healthy and happy day!

Andreas Michaelides

Knowledge Knows No Bounds: Join Our Cause, Donate to Our Blog Today!