Hookah Effects

Waterpipes, also known as hookah, have always been the smoking method of choice in places such as North Africa and parts of Asia. But lately in the US and Canada, studies have observed an increase in hookah use, particularly within college-aged students. According to these studies, the growing demographic for hookah smokers is adults, often male, between the ages of 18 and 24 who are middle to upper class, tend to be English-speakers, and have money to spend on leisure activities.

The increase in hookah lounges that are opening across the United States can pose some problems to hookah smokers. Studies show that people who smoke hookah are more likely to also smoke cigarettes and experiment with drugs, particularly marijuana. In fact, 75% of hookah users admitted to smoking marijuana in the past year versus the 35% of non-hookah smokers who have smoked marijuana in the last year. At one US university, a study found that nearly half the student population had tried hookah with 20% of the students having smoked it that month.

Many people speculate that the increase in hookah popularity is due to its perceived “healthiness” over cigarettes. Many people believe that because the tobacco in hookah passes through water before being smoked, the water filters the bad ingredients. But this is a misconception. Hookah actually contains greater amount of tar, nicotine, and amounts of heavy metals than cigarettes. Studies show that hookah smoking can harm the heart and lungs, increase a person’s heart rate and could have an cause future heart and lung diseases and cancers.

Long-term public health impact of hookah smoking has not yet been determined but officials say that greater awareness of the effects of hookah on people’s health is needed to combat the perception that hookah is “healthier” than cigarettes.