The number of nightclubs and bars offering waterpipe (shisha pipe, hookah or hubble bubble) smoking has risen dramatically in recent years, but many people do not realise the health risks involved.
The World Health Organization says that one hour smoking a shisha pipe is as toxic as smoking 100 cigarettes. The British Heart Foundation says that the smoker inhales the equivalent of a whole cigarette in every puff, with the tobacco containing nicotine, tar, carbob monoxide and heavy metals such as arsenic and lead.
Even tobacco-free shishas will expose the smoker to carbon monoxide and toxins. Fruit and herbal flavours do not mean the product is healthy, either.
Shisha smokers are at risk of the same diseases as cigarette smokers, which include heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease and problems during pregnancy.
Good Housekeeping July 2013
