Hookahs not a better alternative to cigarettes: Scientists

A hookah may not as harmless as you thought. Popular, mainly amongst college students, scientists have found that the hookkah is not a harmless alternative to cigarettes. A new study conducted by the University of California, San Francisco, measured the chemicals in the blood and urine of people who smoked hookahs and concluded that hookah smoke contains different yet harmful toxins that are as bad as cigarettes.

Researchers said that hookah smoke exposed people to higher levels of carbon monoxide which is especially hazardous for those suffering from heart disease or respiratory conditions. It also exposes users to higher levels of benzene which has long been associated with leukaemia. The main reason scientists embarked on this research was because a number of people wanted to know if switching from a regular cigarette to a water pipe was a wiser option. Since they found no real difference in the amount of danger a smoker puts himself/herself in they suggest that quitting and switching is the best way to go. Compared to non-smokers, if an individual smokes a hookah everyday, he or she is more likely to be at increased risk for cancer, scientists said.

The UCSF study included eight men and five women, all of whom had previous experience smoking cigarettes and using water pipes. Benowitz and Jacob had the volunteers smoke an average of three water pipe sessions or 11 cigarettes per day. Scientists found that the level of benzene byproducts doubled in urine. When compared to smoking this was a huge leap. Occupational exposure to benzene has been shown to increase the risk of developing leukaemia.Furthermore, the researchers measured carbon monoxide in the breath over 24 hours and found levels 2.5 higher after water pipe use in comparison to cigarette smoking. The differences in the slew of toxins that ended up in the bodies of volunteers were due largely to the fact that the smokers were smoking two different materials, according to Benowitz.

The chief scientist benowitz said that the smoking a hookah is basically burning tobacco over coal with some fruit flavouring. When there organic compounds are burned, they release a toxic substance called, VOC (volatile organic compound) and PAH's (polycyclic aromatic compounds) which are highly carcinogenic (cancer causing).

The bright side to the study, it found that smoking a hookah reduced the amount of nicotine, (the addictive compound in cigarette) inhaled.