Hooked on shisha? Why hookahs might be more harmful than you think

Shisha, hookah or waterpipes are thought by some to be a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes, but the evidence doesn't necessarily agree

Waterpipe smoking is on the rise, particularly among teenagers and young adults. And one of the likely reasons for this is the belief that shisha is less harmful than cigarette smoking. But is this the case?

Shisha (also known as hookah, waterpipes, hubble bubble) is the name for pipes containing water at the bottom, and a platform at the top where flavoured tobacco (or non-tobacco herbal mixtures) is covered with foil. Hot charcoal is then placed on top of the foil, and when a user breathes through a hose, a vacuum is created, drawing smoke through the water and into the mouth, where it is inhaled into the lungs. Shisha is a social activity, with one pipe sometimes having a number of hoses, or the hose being passed around.