Hookah-smoking "epidemic" begun. Part 1

May 16, 2011

Medics dispute how harmful this "type of leisure time" is. Hookah gains more and more popularity in the world. It happens, most likely, as researchers consider, because among laymen is widely spread wrong belief that hookah doesn't harm health and doesn't build up a tolerance. And among devotees of such type of smoking become more and more young people.

Researchers of Buffalo University have found out how popular is hookah smoking among representative of both sex and different age groups in USA, Great Britain, Australia, Estonia and Gulf countries, including Lebanon, Pakistan, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Target group were school students of 13 years and elder, university students, adult people and pregnant women.

It appeared that hookah smoking is mostly spread on the Middle East and in Asia countries, but USA and other West countries "nip at their heels". So, in USA many hookah smokers are met among students of secondary schools. Among adults hookah is smoked by 6 % of Pakistanis, 4-12 % of Gulf countries people, 11 % of Arabic speaking Australians and 15 % of Lebanese. Group smoking is more spread in Lebanon (5 %) and Egypt (11-15 %). Besides, in Lebanon 5-6 % of pregnant women have informed that they continue hookah smoking while carrying child.

Scientists are waved of this fact. How harmful is hookah? There are two contrary points of view on this.

OPINION PRO

1. Smoke filtration through water in hookah reduces content of nicotine, phenols up to 90 %, small particulates, benzopyrene, polyciclen aromatic hydrocarbon. Also is noticed reduce of carcinogenic smoke potential that has crossed the water as compared to smoke that hasn't went through such filtration.

2. Going through the water smoke is cleaned up of acrylaldehyde, substances that are harmful for alveolar macrophages main cells that protect lungs and important elements of person's immune system.

3. During smoking tobacco is not contacting with open flame and it doesn't burn but is shrinking under the influence of temperature and namely because of this hookah smoke doesn't contain harmful carcinogens that are created as combustion product.

4. In hookah tobacco there is no paper as in cigarettes that when burning out brings to the body quite many harmful substances.