Do you know hookah? Maybe you’ve already tried it? It has a slightly aromatic and fresh taste appreciated by smokers. Do you smoke it from time to time in a shisha bar or at home? Some say it is harmless, others, on the contrary, think it is very harmful. And you ? Do you have an opinion?
First of all, do you know how a hookah works?
The chicha, also called hookah, is a water pipe. This means that when you smoke shisha, you inhale the smoke through water. How it works ? A piece of tobacco is placed on the hearth located at the top of the device. This hearth is connected by a rod called a chimney to a tank half filled with water. Once all the elements are connected to each other, you must light a piece of charcoal which is placed on a pierced aluminum foil above the tobacco. This is what will allow it to burn. All that remains is to suck through the nozzle located at the end of the pipe. The smoke passes through the hookah to reach the tank filled with water and then passes into the pipe that the smoker holds in his hand.
What are you actually smoking?
The tobacco that is placed in the hearth at the top of the hookah is called tabamel. It is a paste composed of 30% tobacco and 70% molasses. Molasses is a thick, viscous liquid containing sugar and essences, possibly honey or fruit pulp. This is what gives this sticky and pasty appearance to shisha tobacco but also this sweet taste.
There are many preconceived ideas about shisha. Its sweet taste gives the impression of smoking a healthier product than tobacco. Some even believe that the water purifies the smoke and makes it less harmful. It’s true, water retains some of the nicotine contained in tobacco. But as a result, you will inhale longer and deeper to obtain the same effect as a cigarette. You will then breathe in more carcinogens, heavy metals and carbon monoxide. Not a great cocktail for your health! It is also true that water retains 2/3 of the smoke particles. But it does not filter the fine particles which settle on your lungs and which are particularly dangerous.
A shisha session is equivalent to smoking
According to the WHO (World Health Organization), if you suck 8 to 12 puffs of shisha for 5 to 7 minutes, you smoke the equivalent of one cigarette. A shisha session lasts on average 45 minutes. So it’s not 8 to 12 puffs that you inhale, but rather 50 to 200 per session.
During a hookah session, you inhale 25 times more tar than with a cigarette and 125 times more smoke (source: University of Pittsburg).
When it burns, shisha smoke releases 4,000 chemical substances, many of which are toxic, irritating and/or carcinogenic (source: National Cancer Institute).
Please note: if you don’t smoke but stay with your smoking friends in a shisha bar or at their place, you too breathe the smoke that they emit when smoking!
- Ideally, use non-burning electric charcoal or natural coconut-based charcoal. Above all, avoid quick-lighting charcoal which contains toxic chemical additives. Do not use barbecue charcoal.
- Opt for nicotine-free steam stones. We can say that it is a bit like the electronic cigarette hookah version.
- If you use shisha tobacco, make sure the composition is indicated on the packet.
- Distribute the embers evenly so as not to char the tobacco.
- Do not inhale the smoke deeply and space out the puffs to smoke less.
- Change the water in the tank often.
- Smoke in a well-ventilated area.
- Hookah transmits diseases. To avoid them, always use your own sterile, disposable plastic tip.
- Change the hose often.
But the ideal remains not to smoke…
What the law says ?
The law is very clear and applies to both cigarettes and shisha: smoking is prohibited in closed and covered public spaces, including cafes, restaurants and including shisha bars. You also cannot smoke near children in squares or play areas. Bars can, however, reserve an enclosed and ventilated space for their smoking customers. However, it must not exceed 20% of the total surface area of the establishment and is exclusively reserved for smokers and prohibited for those under 18 years of age.
