One hour of hookah toking equals 100 cigs

From Dailymail:
Hubbly-bubbly, hookah or shisha - whatever name it goes by, puffing on a Turkish waterpipe is the latest trend to hit British bars and cafes. 

The flavoured tobacco, which is smoked via a long pipe connected to a vessel filled with water, is particularly fashionable among young people, with the number of specialist bars rising 210 per cent since 2007.

But the World Health Organisation has warned that a one-hour shisha session can be as harmful as smoking 100 cigarettes.

This is because a cigarette smoker typically takes between eight and 12 puffs, inhaling 0.5 to 0.6 litres of smoke.

But during an hour-long shisha sessions smokers may take up to 200 drags, ranging from 0.15 to 1 litre of smoke each. 




Hookah is an interesting subject. Hip college kids are all about it. It's seen a very exotic because of it's Middle Eastern roots. And when you think about it this makes sense. A cigarette is quick, a few drags and you can be done. Shit I've seen people suck 'em down so quick you don't even realize they lit one. But hookah is a more relaxed, all-day type affair. Hang out, take a drag, drink whatever.But I've smoked it a bunch of times and it is true that I've probably never just taken a drag and tha'ts it. You hang out and shoot the shit and the hookah will burn for at least a half hour. Even passing the pipe between five people you end up taking a lot of smoke.

But one thing I will say is that I don't know a lot of people who use hookah as regularly as cigarettes. I mean okay so one hookah session is a ton of cigarettes. If I smoke hookah three times a year with friends than that is a tiny amount of smoke compared to a smoker who smokes cigarettes daily. I'm sure there are smokers who inhale hookah all the the time but I think it is just a fad that really will die down and not become some big huge smoking epidemic.

Oh and I hate when doctors think that because something tastes good young people don't realize the risks. Every day millions of people smoke and drink and do any number of things they know is bad for them. They just don't give a fuck and need to relax.