Hookah Use Among College Students

Hookah Use Among College Students

A hookah, shisha, or air-pipes is a multi or single-stemmed apparatus for inhaling or exhaling smoke from a hookah (a two-piece unit that resembles a barrel), shisha (a single stem piece that resembles a cylinder), or water pipe. The smoke is first passed through a sealed water basin before inhalation. Hookah smokers typically use their hookahs to “hook” (hook the mouth of the hooked finger and smoke the smoke into the lungs) or “smoke” (pass the smoke through the mouth and exhale it in the same way) their cigarettes. They also use their hookahs to prepare their own “hookahs,” a delicious coffee-like tobacco blend. There are many styles of hookahs available, and most come in a variety of materials and colors.

Hookah

A hookah https://coalsnbowls.com/collections/hookahs/ is considered a “fire hazard” by many health professionals because tobacco smoke will irritate many different types of respiratory systems. Irritated airways can increase the risk of bronchitis or emphysema, both of which are very serious diseases that can require lifelong treatment. Other illnesses caused by inhaled secondhand smoke include chronic cough and chest infections. Many studies have demonstrated that people who constantly inhale secondhand smoke have higher rates of all kinds of cancers and coronary heart disease.

Hookah smoking poses a variety of health risks, but the most immediate dangers are those that you may encounter if you inhale secondhand smoke. These include: difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, coughing, sore throat, and chest pains. Inhaled smoke has also been associated with the development of lung cancer and cataracts.

A hookah is a fine glass tube about six inches in length. There are two bowls at either end of the tube – one bowl contains water for the smoking experience and the other to receive the smoke tobacco. When you light up a hookah, the heat from the light bulb heats the water in the bowls. This causes the steam to be inhaled, which creates the smoke. Many hookahs contain chemicals that create a distinctive flavor, but hookahs that include water pipes do not.

Hookah smoking has been shown to lead to an increased risk of heart disease. Nicotine is known to cause high blood pressure and can increase the risk of cardiac arrest in smokers. Also, hookah smoking increases the risk of lung cancer. Hookah users are particularly at risk for two of the most common forms of lung disease – bronchitis and emphysema.

Hookah use is not limited to the Middle East. It is gaining popularity in the United States. Many college students enjoy the casual hookah smoking experience, which helps them avoid the social stigmas associated with tobacco use. With fewer smokers using real cigarettes and more and less people lighting up pipes on a regular basis, it is apparent that hookah smoking has a lot to lose.