Bbc Article On The Harmful Effects Of Shisha

[LondonShisha]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8214097.stm



Smoking a shisha pipe is as bad for people as smoking tobacco, the Department of Health and the Centre for Tobacco Control Research has found. People who smoke shisha, or herbal tobacco, can suffer from high carbon monoxide levels, its research revealed.

It found one session of smoking shisha resulted in carbon monoxide levels at least four to five times higher than the amount produced by a cigarette.

High levels of carbon monoxide can lead to brain damage and unconsciousness.

Shisha is an Arabic water-pipe in which fruit-scented tobacco is burnt using coal, passed through an ornate water vessel and inhaled through a hose.

Dr Hilary Wareing, director of the Centre for Tobacco Control Research, told the BBC's Asian Network she was shocked by the results of the research.

"Our mouths opened at the level of harm - none of the tests we did showed anything other than shisha is hazardous to health."

Paul Hooper, regional manager at the Department of Health, said the findings made the dangers of shisha a "major issue".

He said many people regard shisha "as not even smoking".

Misconception

Shisha bars, which are typically decked out with low stools and soft cushions to create an inviting atmosphere, have become popular in cities across the UK, particularly London, Manchester and Birmingham.




An activity largely associated with Middle Eastern customers and a young crowd, there is a growing trend of themed shisha parties.

Many people who go to "shisha evenings" think it is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes.

"You never see it in the news - 'that is terrible, don't do it' - there's no shock tactics like (there is with) cigarettes," said one young woman.

"If my mum sees me smoking shisha, she isn't going to take it as seriously as if I was smoking cigarettes," said a British Pakistani man.

It was this misconception - and finding dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in a pregnant woman who had stopped smoking tobacco, but continued to smoke shisha - which prompted the research.

"We found one session of smoking shisha - that's 10 milligrams for 30 minutes - gave carbon monoxide levels that were at the lowest four and five times as high as having a cigarette," said Dr Wareing.

"But at the worst, shisha was 400 to 450 times more dangerous than having a cigarette," she added.

Informed choice



Shisha smokers in a cafe in Edgware Road, London, said the findings would make them think twice about smoking.

"You know you can die from cigarettes, but you don't know you can die from shisha," said one.

"I'm now going home to research it," said another.

But not everyone is convinced.

Akram, a 27-year-old who runs a restaurant and shisha bar in Birmingham, has his own views.

"There is a health risk but it's all down to consumption and all the evidence I've seen is that smoking shisha is nothing like smoking even one cigarette," he said.

He said he did not actually inhale shisha smoke.

It is not just the level of carbon monoxide that is causing concern.

Qasim Choudhory, a youth worker at the NHS Stop Smoking Service in Leicester, said sharing a shisha pipe could pass around infections.

"There's a heightened risk of getting TB, herpes and infections like that," she said.

"Now you know swine flu is on the top of the agenda right now - there's no kind of direct correlation, but at time when we're up on our hygiene, it's not the best type of activity to be taking part in."

Dr Wareing said more research on exactly how dangerous shisha was needed to be conducted to enable people to make an informed choice.

Paul Hooper said the department was working hard at "how best to get the message - that it is dangerous - across to the consumer".

"But how do you label the tobacco and the shisha pipe? It's not as simple as labelling a packet of cigarettes," he added.

[Balthazar]

""But at the worst, shisha was 400 to 450 times more dangerous than having a cigarette," she added."

What does this even mean?

[Tyler]

This has been debated over and over and over. For the most part, if you don't burn your shisha, don't inhale melting foil, and don't use really bad QL coals, you're not doing much more than inhaling vapor thats been filtered through water. The fact that they use the wrong terms for the hookah parts is enough to discredit this "study." One does not smoke shisha, one smokes out of a shisha.

[Sonthert]

Why doesn't the BBC just get it over with and have sex with the WHO?

[Chreees]

Where are the FACTS?

[Arcane]

you are inhaling something other than oxygen....it's not good for you.

accept it or quit smoking hookah.

[LondonShisha]

You wouldn't believe how much of stir this has caused today in the UK - the majority of youngsters (and not so young) have been introduced to shisha and have probably tried it, so lots of emails flying about quoting this article.

The BBC don't really have any facts and contradict themselves.

..it was this misconception - and finding dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in a pregnant woman who had stopped smoking tobacco, but continued to smoke shisha - which prompted the research.

"We found one session of smoking shisha - that's 10 milligrams for 30 minutes - gave carbon monoxide levels that were at the lowest four and five times as high as having a cigarette," said Dr Wareing.

"But at the worst, shisha was 400 to 450 times more dangerous than having a cigarette," she added.

So which is it, 4 times worse or 400? Why not tell us what circumstances caused it to get worse? (dirty pipe, bad coals, burnt shisha etc)

[Svaals]

Smoking anything probably isn't great for you. I think shisha is better for you just because of how it's consumed. People tend to smoke cigs a lot more than shisha because they are more handy. I think that's an important distinction to make.

[McLovin600]

Yea lots of confusion here for me lol

"It found one session of smoking shisha resulted in carbon monoxide levels at least four to five times higher than the amount produced by a cigarette"

1 session = 1 cig? I can live with that. lol prob not what it means though. Inhaling shit in your lungs, water/no water or burning/not burning has to be bad, how bad? dont know.

[ih303]

you are inhaling something other than oxygen....it's not good for you.

accept it or quit smoking hookah.

Agreed.

What all these studies fail to acknowledge is the fact that, when properly smoked, you're not actually burning the tobacco. That's the major difference between cigarettes and hookah. These studies always try to sound like they're comparing apples to apples, but it's really like comparing apples to oranges. Sure, they are similar because they both involve tobacco, but the similarities end there.

Don't get me wrong, I think everyone here is probably aware (like Arcane) that inhaling anything other than oxygen is not good. But I think it's clear that smoking shisha is fundamentally different and does not have the same health impact as cigarettes.

Just my $0.02

[delSol_si]

you are inhaling something other than oxygen....it's not good for you.

accept it or quit smoking hookah.

Agreed.

What all these studies fail to acknowledge is the fact that, when properly smoked, you're not actually burning the tobacco. That's the major difference between cigarettes and hookah. These studies always try to sound like they're comparing apples to apples, but it's really like comparing apples to oranges. Sure, they are similar because they both involve tobacco, but the similarities end there.

Don't get me wrong, I think everyone here is probably aware (like Arcane) that inhaling anything other than oxygen is not good. But I think it's clear that smoking shisha is fundamentally different and does not have the same health impact as cigarettes.

Just my $0.02

Word. I don't plan on smoking hookah for the rest of my life anyway. Figure it is a nice thing to do during college to be social, and will probably smoke once in awhile for a year or two after college, but after that, I will probably say eff it. I don't smoke hookah for the nicotine, I smoke it to be social and relax. If they made a shisha that didn't have any nicotine, but still smoked good, I would def. start smoking that, but they don't, so I smoke what is out there. And hell, I smoke what? once a day? Twice if I feel lucky? Have you ever had shisha smoke blown in your face? it smells good, ever have ciggs blown in your face? smells like shit. My roommates girlfriend has asthma, she can't even be around ciggs, but is able to smoke hookah with us easily.

[Arcane]

Word. I don't plan on smoking hookah for the rest of my life anyway. Figure it is a nice thing to do during college to be social, and will probably smoke once in awhile for a year or two after college, but after that, I will probably say eff it.

quitters never win.

[ColibriDon]

Word. I don't plan on smoking hookah for the rest of my life anyway. Figure it is a nice thing to do during college to be social, and will probably smoke once in awhile for a year or two after college, but after that, I will probably say eff it.

quitters never win.

Truth.

Ah the whole health issue is a dead concern for me. There's no point in worrying about how long you're going to live for, either you live to see the next 40 years...or you don't. That's my philosophy and I like it--a lot less stressful.

[mjdx88]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8214097.stm

Shisha is an Arabic water-pipe in which fruit-scented tobacco is burnt using coal, passed through an ornate water vessel and inhaled through a hose.

Theres your problem they burned the shit...man I i smoked bruned shisha for more then a few mins I would feel like death.

you are inhaling something other than oxygen....it's not good for you.

accept it or quit smoking hookah.

Oxygen is toxic to us as well...its the mixture of Nitrogen, O2 and a few other things that we need....


We arent going to live forever....you want to get the most out of life do what makes you happy.....you want to live as long as possible dont smoke and drink...simple as that

[Tikhman]

I'm mostly curious how one would even smoke 10mg of tobacco... thats like tiny little piece or even just a few drops of juice.

[Stuie]

correct me if I am wrong.... BBC is the sole television outlet in the UK because the government has made it so... I am sure their monopoly wouldn't make them biased or accountable in any way.

[PalGuY]

Word. I don't plan on smoking hookah for the rest of my life anyway. Figure it is a nice thing to do during college to be social, and will probably smoke once in awhile for a year or two after college, but after that, I will probably say eff it.

quitters never win.

Truth.

Ah the whole health issue is a dead concern for me. There's no point in worrying about how long you're going to live for, either you live to see the next 40 years...or you don't. That's my philosophy and I like it--a lot less stressful.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8214097.stm

Shisha is an Arabic water-pipe in which fruit-scented tobacco is burnt using coal, passed through an ornate water vessel and inhaled through a hose.

Theres your problem they burned the shit...man I i smoked bruned shisha for more then a few mins I would feel like death.

you are inhaling something other than oxygen....it's not good for you.

accept it or quit smoking hookah.

Oxygen is toxic to us as well...its the mixture of Nitrogen, O2 and a few other things that we need....


We arent going to live forever....you want to get the most out of life do what makes you happy.....you want to live as long as possible dont smoke and drink...simple as that

Yes no one lives forever and yes you are right you will eaither live to see the next 40 years or you wont, but do you want to live the next 40 years in the hospital with a tube in ur chest for food or do you want to live the next 40 years a healthy independant human being.

I agree more studies need to be done, but deep down in my gut I know this is a bad habit and my health will deteroriate as I get older, so the older I get the less I will be smoking, will I quit? probably not, but I will make sure I dont smoke as often, once a week or once a month its all good.

[momatik]

In my opinion BBC is an honest credible source. This makes the report legitimate, for me.

I may smoke once a week max, so I'm not really worried about the health effects. I do wonder though, if someone were to develop an alternative heat source, would I smoke more often..?

[Tyler]

WARNING! Using your computer causes cancer, leads you to be sedentary which increases risk of over 900 health issues which can further contribute to thousands of other health risks. However, walking too, creates risks, as does watching TV, working out, sleeping, and breathing. The only way to avoid health risks is to die. However, death comes with a very bad disease called decomposition. You're fucked whether you're alive or dead. Smoke a hookah and laugh at everyone else who hasn't figured this out.

[Ramenamen]

Once I see a study where they actually show their exact methodology, the way they set up the hookah and all and then prove it's bad, then I might believe. People have been smoking hookah for thousands of years. I know it's bad but it's probably not that bad.

[ih303]

People have been smoking hookah for thousands of years.

That's a good point. Commercial cigarettes are a relatively new invention, and they've caused a major upheaval in the realm of social health. Hookahs and shisha have been around for far longer and they've barely created a ripple.

It seems to me that living in Los Angeles and breathing the air there would be more detrimental to your health than smoking hookah.

Honestly, I'd like to see health statistics from the middle east or somewhere where hookah smoking is far more prevalent. If lung cancer is more common and widespread there than in the states or western europe, it might actually mean something.

[Zinite]

People have been smoking hookah for thousands of years.

That's a good point. Commercial cigarettes are a relatively new invention, and they've caused a major upheaval in the realm of social health. Hookahs and shisha have been around for far longer and they've barely created a ripple.

It seems to me that living in Los Angeles and breathing the air there would be more detrimental to your health than smoking hookah.

Honestly, I'd like to see health statistics from the middle east or somewhere where hookah smoking is far more prevalent. If lung cancer is more common and widespread there than in the states or western europe, it might actually mean something.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/...full/116/1/e113
http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/5/1/19

[Namenone]

People have been smoking hookah for thousands of years.

That's a good point. Commercial cigarettes are a relatively new invention, and they've caused a major upheaval in the realm of social health. Hookahs and shisha have been around for far longer and they've barely created a ripple.

It seems to me that living in Los Angeles and breathing the air there would be more detrimental to your health than smoking hookah.

Honestly, I'd like to see health statistics from the middle east or somewhere where hookah smoking is far more prevalent. If lung cancer is more common and widespread there than in the states or western europe, it might actually mean something.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/...full/116/1/e113
http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/5/1/19

Bear in mind those two links are focusing on pure hookah tobacco. Not the stuff most of us smoke like AF etc.

[ih303]

Good articles. I definately find those to be of more value than the one generated throught the BBC. However, there were a few problems I had with those studies.

First, it seems to me the hookah setups they were referencing involved placing the coals directly on the shisha. (please correct me if I'm wrong) That being the case, there would be little difference between hookah and cigarette smoking in that both involve burning tobacco directly. It's my understanding that when you smoke shisha, the sugars (i.e. honey, molasses, sucrose, etc.) burn rather than the tobacco since the sugar has a lower cumbustion point than the tobacco. That's why when you smoke shisha, what you're left with is a brittle puck of ultra-try, cooked tobacco rather than ash (like cigarettes).

The other problem I have is with this quote:

The nicotine content of water-pipe tobacco has been reported to be 2% to 4%, in comparison with 1% to 3% for cigarettes.

What kind of tobacco are they using? All the stuff I've ever smoked is 0.5% for unwashed and 0.05% for washed.


The first study made the claim that hookah smoking is "at least as toxic as cigarette smoke." Given the setup and shisha they're using, I'd buy that. But the way most of us smoke is very different and would therefore differ significantly in reference to toxicity.

At the end of the day, smoking anything is not good, and by doing so, we put ourselves at risk.

Please, if anyone sees anything wrong with what I've written, point it out. I like to learn as much as I can about this stuff.

[thugacation]

Smoking a shisha pipe is as bad for people as smoking tobacco, the Department of Health and the Tobacco Control Collaborating Centre has found.
People who smoke shisha, or herbal tobacco, can suffer from high carbon monoxide levels, its research revealed.
It found one session of smoking shisha resulted in carbon monoxide levels at least four to five times higher than the amount produced by one cigarette.
High levels of carbon monoxide can lead to brain damage and unconsciousness.
Shisha is a water-pipe, popular in many Arab countries, in which fruit-scented tobacco is burnt using coal, passed through an ornate water vessel and inhaled through a hose.
The Department of Health said it was difficult to know exactly how much carbon monoxide one cigarette produced, due to the differences in smokers' inhalations.

CO LEVELS - PARTS PER MILLION
Normal level: 3 ppm
Light smoker: 10-20 ppm
Heavy smoker 30-40 ppm
Faulty boiler/fire levels: Upwards of 100 ppm
Severe symptoms: 100 ppm
Lethal levels: More than 300 ppm

But measuring carbon monoxide in exhaled breath showed a normal non-smoker's level to be three parts CO per million parts of air (ppm) (less than 1% of blood not working properly), a light smoker to have 10-20 ppm (2-4% of blood not working properly), and a heavy smoker 30-40 ppm (5-7%).
The study found shisha smokers had 40-70 ppm of CO in their breath - affecting 8-12% of their blood.
Dr Hilary Wareing, director of the Tobacco Control Collaborating Centre, told the BBC's Asian Network she was shocked by the results of the research.
"Our mouths opened at the level of harm - none of the tests we did showed anything other than shisha is hazardous to health."
Paul Hooper, regional manager at the Department of Health, said the findings made the dangers of shisha a "major issue".
He said many people regard shisha "as not even smoking".
Misconception
Shisha bars, which are typically decked out with low stools and soft cushions to create an inviting atmosphere, have become popular in cities across the UK, particularly in London, Manchester and Birmingham.


An activity largely associated with Middle Eastern customers and a young crowd, there is a growing trend of themed shisha parties.
Many people who go to "shisha evenings" think it is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes.
"You never see it in the news - 'that is terrible, don't do it' - there's no shock tactics like (there is with) cigarettes," said one young woman.
"If my mum sees me smoking shisha, she isn't going to take it as seriously as if I was smoking cigarettes," said a British Pakistani man.
It was this misconception - and finding dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in a pregnant woman who had stopped smoking tobacco, but continued to smoke shisha - which prompted the research.
"We found one session of smoking shisha - that's 10 milligrams (of fruit tobacco) for 30 minutes - gave carbon monoxide levels that were at the lowest four and five times higher than having a cigarette," said Dr Wareing.
"But at the worst, shisha was 400 to 450 times more dangerous than having a cigarette," she added.
Informed choice

Shisha smokers in a cafe in Edgware Road, London, said the findings would make them think twice about smoking.
"You know you can die from cigarettes, but you don't know you can die from shisha," said one.
"I'm now going home to research it," said another.
But not everyone is convinced.
Akram, a 27-year-old who runs a restaurant and shisha bar in Birmingham, has his own views.
"There is a health risk but it's all down to consumption and all the evidence I've seen is that smoking shisha is nothing like smoking even one cigarette," he said.
He said he did not actually inhale shisha smoke.
It is not just the level of carbon monoxide that is causing concern.
Qasim Choudhory, a youth worker at the NHS Stop Smoking Service in Leicester, said sharing a shisha pipe could pass around infections.
"There's a heightened risk of getting TB, herpes and infections like that," she said.
"Now you know swine flu is on the top of the agenda right now - there's no kind of direct correlation, but at time when we're up on our hygiene, it's not the best type of activity to be taking part in."
Dr Wareing said more research on exactly how dangerous shisha was needed to be conducted to enable people to make an informed choice.
Paul Hooper said the department was working hard at "how best to get the message - that it is dangerous - across to the consumer".
"But how do you label the tobacco and the shisha pipe? It's not as simple as labelling a packet of cigarettes," he added.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8214097.stm
Article on BBC today. They've also got a 25 min radio program on it. But its only available to UK people.


(Sorry if this is in the wrong section, wasn't sure)