The history of the appearance of hookah is covered in legends - it is still unknown exactly who first introduced the fashion for it - Indians, Persians or Ethiopians. Until the 18th century, hookah was smoked only in the East, but gradually the exotic device conquered Europe. Today, hookah parties are popular entertainment all over the world.
For cigarettes, dry small tobacco is used, and for hookahs, large and moist tobacco; in cigarettes, all the active substances are wrapped in paper; in a hookah, they are in a special cup, and so on. But if the difference is so great, does it mean that the harm from hookah and cigarettes is also incomparable?
The main difference between these smoking devices is the composition of the smoke. An ordinary cigarette - both the cheapest and the most expensive - contains a lot of nicotine, dangerous tars, carcinogens and harmful impurities from burning paper. If the paper is of low quality, the proportion of impurities can be quite impressive. In a hookah, the proportion of nicotine is noticeably lower, there are practically no carcinogens (they remain in the water), and the amount of harmful resins is also less. The biggest danger when using a hookah is carbon monoxide (CO). The proportion of CO that enters the body with hookah smoke is tens of times higher than the portion found in cigarettes. When you are addicted to cigarettes, its share is much lower, where the functions of CO are taken over by other toxins. Unless, of course, you smoke one pack at a time, but this is almost impossible.
Another feature is the composition of the tobacco. In cigarettes, the main enemies are tar, nicotine, and various poisons (acetaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, etc.). Refined hookah tobacco brings another danger - it often uses chemical flavorings, including petroleum resins, which are no less poisonous to the body than the terrible acetaldehyde. At the same time, there are also nicotine-free hookahs, the harm from which is much lower.
Toxic smoke, due to its humidity and viscosity, penetrates into the lungs much more easily, reaching even those areas that are inaccessible to cigarette CO - the lower respiratory tract. And with excessive hookah smoking there is even a risk of full-blown carbon monoxide poisoning.
The symptoms are:severe weakness; nausea; gagging; dizziness; fainting. When receiving such signals, you need to urgently throw away the hookah pipe and go out into the fresh air, otherwise you can cause serious harm to yourself.
The exchange of saliva is a specific feature of hookah pleasure. The cigarette is usually used individually, the request “let me finish smoking!” rather an exception, and the risks of becoming infected with something through saliva are minimal.
With hookah the situation is completely different. A smoking session usually involves several people, and the pipe through which the smoke is inhaled is one for everyone. Microparticles of saliva remain on the surface, where dangerous viruses can easily end up. The list of diseases that can be acquired through saliva is very wide - from simple herpes to hepatitis B, rare bacterial meningitis and even syphilis.
According to the World Health Organization, hookah smoke contains enough harmful substances that can cause heart and vascular diseases, lung cancer and other ailments. During a hookah session, those who do not smoke usually do not have the opportunity to leave the room for a long time, and such a session sometimes lasts several hours. As a result, a significant portion of the smoke goes to non-smokers.
Whether to smoke a hookah or not is up to everyone to decide for themselves. If you constantly resort to this supposedly innocent pleasure, you can seriously harm your health.
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