The harm of a hookah: the truth or a myth?

Hookah lovers often call it safe alternative to cigarettes. In their opinion, it is not addictive, butSmoking mixture for hookah contains less harmful substances than cigarette tobacco. In addition, smoke when smoking a hookah is filtered through water, so most of the harmful substances do not reach the lungs, and cold smoke does not burn the airways.

In fact, everything is not so simple. At first, compare the harm of hookah and the harm of cigarettes is not entirely correct: in some ways a hookah is really less harmful thancigarettes, but in some respects it is more harmful than them. Secondly, cigarettes are manufactured according to a certain standard, and their damage is easier to assess: everything is controlled and written on the pack. And there is no standard for hookah, besides, many factors influence the content of harmful substances in hookah smoke (that is, the harm of hookah):

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  type and quality of the tobacco mixture (depending on thethe manufacturer varies the content of tar and nicotine in tobacco; In addition, tobacco made for export is often worse and more harmful than tobacco produced for domestic use);
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  quality of coal (quick-burning coal with nitrate or magnesia is more harmful than wood);
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  temperature of tobacco burning (it is very difficult to control);
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  the correctness of the "filling" hookah (there are many nuances: how tightly packed tobacco, how much water is poured into the flask, etc.).

therefore damage to the hookah is difficult to assess objectively. But the fact that he is not absolutely harmless is a fact. Yes, there is really less nicotine and tar in the smoke of the hookah (although, as we have already said, this largely depends on the quality of the tobacco), but a smaller amount of harmful substances is compensated by a large amount of carbon monoxide.

A person smokes a cigarette within a few minutes, and a hookah is usually smoked in the company for an hour or more. During this time the smoker has time breathe in more carbon monoxidethan when smoking a cigarette, and penetrates the gas into thethe lungs are much deeper, because more effort is applied when smoking the hookah. As a result, carbon monoxide poisoning, expressed in dizziness, nausea and dyspnea, is possible.

In addition, many are accustomed to combine smoking hookah with the use of alcohol. Alcohol increases the harm of hookah, exacerbating the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. Even fainting is possible. So if you can not completely abandon the hookah, at least make a choice - a hookah or booze, because the effect of their combination can be absolutely unpredictable. Also, do not pour pure alcohol into the flask instead of water - Any alcoholic beverages are added to the flask in a diluted form!

Also, the harm of the hookah is that it is usually several people smoke by turns, using the same hose. But in this way a large number of diseases are transmitted, from herpes to hepatitis. Do not forget about the basic rules of hygiene.

By the way, passive smoking hookah is also not harmless. Therefore it is not necessary to smoke a hookah in the presence of children and pregnant women, justifying that it is safer than cigarettes.

So you can not say that the harm of hookah moreor less harm to cigarettes - it's just different. Of course, smoking or not smoking a hookah - it's up to you, but if you still can not give it up, observe the precautions that will help reduce the harm of hookah:

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  smoke the hookah not systematically, and from time to time, do not make it a habit;
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  Use for hookah only quality tobacco, on which the composition is indicated;
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  prefer charcoal to a quick-burning;
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  when smoking a hookah use individual removable mouthpieces;
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  Do not pour alcohol into the flask and do not combine smoking hookah with alcohol.

Absolute harmlessness of a hookah is a myth. But the damage to the hookah is often exaggerated. Therefore it is very important to be able adequately assess the danger of hookah for your health and not to abuse smoking.