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Hookah or water pipe smoking has been practiced for over 400 years, and is often a social activity. There are a variety of names for hookahs, including narghile, argileh, shisha, hubble-bubble, and goza. Hookah tobacco is available is many flavors such as apple, grape, mint and cappuccino.
Using a hookah to smoke tobacco poses a serious potential health hazard to smokers and others exposed to the smoke emitted. Hookah tobacco and smoke contain many toxicants that are known to cause lung cancer, heart disease and other health complications. Even after it has passed through water, the smoke contains high levels of toxic compounds, including carbon monoxide, heavy metals, and cancer-causing chemicals, that are masked by the sweet flavors of hookah tobacco. Although many hookah smokers believe that this habit is less harmful than smoking cigarettes, hookah smoke still contains nicotine and has at least as many toxins as cigarette smoke.
Hookah smokers face the same health risks as cigarette smokers, including decreased lung functioning, heart disease and lung cancer. In addition to these health risks, irritation from exposure to tobacco juices increases the risk of developing oral cancers. The charcoal used to heat the tobacco also increases risks by producing high levels of carbon monoxide, metals and cancer-causing chemicals. Because hookah smoking is often a social activity, sharing a hookah can increase the risk of transmission of tuberculosis, viruses such as herpes or hepatitis and many other illnesses.
Due to the frequency of puffing, depth of inhalation and length of smoking session, hookah smokers may absorb a higher concentration of toxins. The typical hookah smoking session lasts about one hour and therefore involves inhaling as much as 100-200 times the volume of smoke than you would if you smoked one cigarette.
Using tobacco products while pregnant can negatively affect your unborn babies’ health. Many toxins found in cigarette smoke are passed to the baby through the placenta. This can deprive the baby of the food and oxygen it needs to develop properly. As a result, babies of mothers who smoke are often underweight. These babies are more likely to need special care and therefore may have to stay longer in the hospital. Some may die at birth or within the first year. Other health risks involved with smoking while pregnant include miscarriage, still births and premature births. According to the American Lung Association, "smoking during pregnancy is estimated to account for 20-30% of low-birth weight babies, up to 14% of preterm deliveries and some 10% percent of all infant deaths."
Some of the effects of smoking while pregnant may not show up at birth, but may begin as the baby develops. Sudden Infant Death (SIDS) is more common among babies who’s mothers smoked while pregnant. Smoking during and after pregnancy may lead to asthma in children. Children who’s mothers smoked while pregnant may also have learning difficulties and/or behavioral problems.
If you are pregnant, quitting will greatly improve your health AND your chances of having a healthy baby.
Secondhand smoke contains many of the same chemicals inhaled by the smoker themselves. About 500 chemicals in secondhand smoke are known to be toxic or carcinogenic. There is no safe amount of secondhand smoke; even the smallest amounts can be harmful to your health. Non-smokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25-30% and increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 20-30%.
Secondhand smoke kills approximately 65 Oregonians each month. Ninety-one percent of Oregonians favor a smoke-free workplace. (Information provided by the Benton County Health Department).
Children are at an age especially vulnerable to secondhand smoke. Smoking around children is responsible for many hospitalizations, new cases of asthma, lung infections and is responsible for 40% of all SIDS cases.
Light cigarettes are generally low-tar cigarettes. The use of light cigarettes greatly increases as age, education level and income level increases. Because of the light cigarette target market, it is not surprising that women use them much more than men.
Many smokers consider smoking low-yield or menthol cigarettes to be safer than smoking regular cigarettes. Marketing tactics imply that low-yield cigarettes are less harmful. Because many smokers actually block the vents or take bigger puffs when smoking light cigarettes, they may be getting just as much tar and nicotine as from regular cigarettes.
There is no evidence that switching to light cigarettes can help a smoker quit, or improve their health. Smoking light cigarettes is dangerous and poses the same health risks as smoking regular cigarettes.
