Hookah smoking

[lax16]

It’s always something though isn’t it. I know people of middle eastern decent, that smoke in the homes, with family, but I think when you grew up on it or in the culture you really don’t think about looking up how bad something is.

Yes, many people from different cultures smoke a great deal of cigarettes as well and seem unaware of the health dangers. I guess some Americans are used to thinking about our health and well-being and trying to prevent cancer and the like.

We also have access to the internet which allows us to google almost anything and get immediate information. Of course, the trick is then to try and determine which online sources are credible!

 

[rotlex]

I don’t smoke, but do like the word “Hookah”.

 

[ndeparis88]

Yes, many people from different cultures smoke a great deal of cigarettes as well and seem unaware of the health dangers. I guess some Americans are used to thinking about our health and well-being and trying to prevent cancer and the like.

We also have access to the internet which allows us to google almost anything and get immediate information. Of course, the trick is then to try and determine which online sources are credible!

Tell me about it. There is a reason why pretty much every college will not let you use Wikipedia as a reference.

I feel when I see people smoking it’s very unbecoming.

 

[EasterJoy]

This is from the Mayo Clinic:

Question
Hookah smoking: Is it safer than cigarettes?
Is hookah smoking safer than smoking cigarettes? I’ve been told that the water used in the hookah makes the tobacco less toxic.
Answer
from Richard D. Hurt, M.D.
Hookah smoking is not safer than cigarette smoking. Also known as narghile, shisha and goza, a hookah is a water pipe with a smoke chamber, a bowl, a pipe and a hose. Specially made tobacco is heated, and the smoke passes through water and is then drawn through a rubber hose to a mouthpiece. The tobacco is no less toxic in a hookah pipe, and the water in the hookah does not filter out the toxic ingredients in the tobacco smoke. Hookah smokers may actually inhale more tobacco smoke than cigarette smokers do because of the large volume of smoke they inhale in one smoking session, which can last as long as 60 minutes.

While research about hookah smoking is still emerging, evidence shows that it poses many dangers:

Hookah smoke contains high levels of toxic compounds, including tar, carbon monoxide, heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens). In fact, hookah smokers are exposed to more carbon monoxide and smoke than are cigarette smokers. As with cigarette smoking, hookah smoking is linked to lung and oral cancers, heart disease and other serious illnesses. Hookah smoking delivers about the same amount of nicotine as cigarette smoking does, possibly leading to tobacco dependence. Hookah smoke poses dangers associated with secondhand smoke. Hookah smoking by pregnant women can result in low birth weight babies. Hookah pipes used in hookah bars and cafes may not be cleaned properly, risking the spread of infectious diseases.

It’s essentially like smoking. It is harmful enough that it is abuse of your body to do it as a habit. It can be argued that most people of good health are unlikely to suffer serious health effects if it is done only very occasionally, though. Certainly you would not do it around children, pregnant women, or those in poor health.

 

[sanctamaria17]

I’ve smoked both hookah and cigarettes in the past. Mainly, I did it out of curiosity and I did it infrequently. I, thankfully, never picked up a nicotine addiction and, while I completely stopped to preserve my health and my singing voice (I’m a cantor and I’ve been training my voice for years), I wouldn’t go so far to say that infrequent smoking is a sin or a gateway to pot. Unfortunately, some of my contemporaries buy into the “hookah=healthy” fad. If you enjoy it once in awhile, like an occasional chocolate bar, go ahead. But I wouldn’t say infrequent use is a sin.

If it were a sin, would it also be a sin to eat candy or junk food infrequently? A sin to eat anything but organic products? A sin to do anything that might be slightly bad for you? How about visiting cities like LA or Nairobi? The pollution in both places probably gives you exposure to more toxic chemicals than smoking one cigarette or having hookah once in awhile. What about not getting enough exercise? Should that be a sin? How about eating McDonald’s while pregnant because you were craving a cheeseburger?

Vice and sin are not always the same things. I like having wine with dinner. They’re saying now that alcohol use among women may lead to breast cancer. I like being out in the sun and my favorite places are beaches and places near the equator. I have a fair complexion and family history of skin cancer. While I obviously should take care of myself (like wear a hat and sunscreen, only drink moderately, etc), I’m not going to stop doing the things I like to do or deprive myself the occasional treat simply because there’s some type of health risk. Being alive is a risk.

 

[ndeparis88]

Yes, many people from different cultures smoke a great deal of cigarettes as well and seem unaware of the health dangers. I guess some Americans are used to thinking about our health and well-being and trying to prevent cancer and the like.

We also have access to the internet which allows us to google almost anything and get immediate information. Of course, the trick is then to try and determine which online sources are credible!

Yeah tell me about it. You have to keep diving through more rabbit holes to get to the bottom of it.