Health risks hookah vs cigs!!

[wyteboy]

I am a relatively new hookah smoker, but I love it.  I love it for the taste, not for the buzz really.  I have never smoked cigs and only tried weed a couple of times.
I was wondering if the health rumors I have heard are true or if they're just ridiculous.  Is Hookah really a lot better for you than cigs?  I have heard the tar level is ZERO with hookah, the nicotine level is less than 25 percent of a cigs and that there is less than HALF of the toxins and random chemicals in hookah than there are in cigs?
I know I may seem lame but I really enjoy hookah for the social, relaxing, and flavorful aspects it provides, I do not want to be really endangering my health or cancer risks long term or develop a nicotine addiction.  I have heard one bowl of hookah equals almost 2 cigs in terms of nicotine, but if that is true than the less than 25 percent of the nicotine in cigs can't really be true.
Thanks to any veterans on here who can clarify health truths vs rumors for me, thanks!!!

[cypress]

These links should answer the questions.



[url="http://forum_posts.asp?TID=809&PN=3"] [url="http://hookahforum.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=809&PN="]http://hookahforum.com/forum/forum_posts.a...asp?TID=809&PN=[/url][/url] 3


[url="http://hookahforum.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=803&PN="]http://hookahforum.com/forum/forum_posts.a...asp?TID=803&PN=[/url] 3://http://hookahforum.com/forum/forum_...D=803&PN= 3

[Mathazar]

I've read on the internet that one average-sized bowl of ma'assel
(hookah tobacco) is equivalent to 18 cigs, regarding the nicotine
factor.

I've been smoking 5 to 10 bowls a day for the last 7 months,  and
I'm totally addicted.  Two nights ago I tried to quit.  I
took my $40 Sultan Hookah and all my ma'assel and threw it down the
trash shoot.  Then the next day I woke-up and started having
nicotine withdrawls,  so I smoked two bowls of pipe tobacco, but
that didn't do it for me.  A couple hours later,  I started
having panic attacks due to the fact that I had thrown out all my
ma'assel.  So,  when I couldn't stand it any longer, I drove
over to the local MiddleEastern shop and bought myself another Sultan
Hookah and some Nakhla ma'assel:  Double Apple,  Licorice,
and Lemon.  Very good flavors. I'm smoking the Lemon right
now.  I've been smoking since 4pm yesterday non-stop,  I'm on
my 5th bowl.  I don't say that with pride,  because in my
honest opinion,  if smoked to often,  hookah smoking can be
very bad for the health.  I say this from experience, 
because quite often after smoking all day I'll find myself coughing-up
a storm.  I'm starting to get stomach pains from coughing so
much.  One time I coughed SO hard that I started to dry heave,
which as a result caused me to puke.  I just wiped-off my mouth
and went back to smoking my hookah.  That's how addicted I
am.  My brother wants me to join him at a health spa to try and
lose some weight.  But,  I'm not allowed to smoke while I'm
there.  WHAT???? I'd die if I couldn't bring my hookah along

So,  to answer your question,  yes,  too much hookah
smoking IS bad for your health.  Just like anything in life, 
moderation is the key to good health.  If I could quit smoking the
hookah,  I would.  But I'm too addicted to it.

Do yourself a HUGE favor and only smoke your hookah once or twice a
day.  Don't allow yourself to get addicted,  you'll only be
hurting yourself

[wyteboy]

Thanks!!

[cypress]

Mathazar, you said 18 cigs right? Or did you mean 1.8 cigs. Seems like
in a previous post you wrote it was 1.5 cigs for an average bowl.

[Mathazar]

I could have said 1.5 cigs for a bowl,  but I do remember reading
an article that stated 18 cigs per bowl.  This just has to do with
nicotine.  But if you're a heavy smoker,  smoking a lot of
hookah tobacco definitely isn't good for you.

[wyteboy]

so one person saw one bowl = 2 cigs and someone else has seen one bowl = EIGHTEEN cigs?
 
hmmmmmmmmmmmm....

[dmitri926]

[quote name='Mathazar']I've read on the internet that one average-sized bowl of ma'assel
(hookah tobacco) is equivalent to 18 cigs, regarding the nicotine
factor.

I've been smoking 5 to 10 bowls a day for the last 7 months,  and
I'm totally addicted.  Two nights ago I tried to quit.  I
took my $40 Sultan Hookah and all my ma'assel and threw it down the
trash shoot.  Then the next day I woke-up and started having
nicotine withdrawls,  so I smoked two bowls of pipe tobacco, but
that didn't do it for me.  A couple hours later,  I started
having panic attacks due to the fact that I had thrown out all my
ma'assel.  So,  when I couldn't stand it any longer, I drove
over to the local MiddleEastern shop and bought myself another Sultan
Hookah and some Nakhla ma'assel:  Double Apple,  Licorice,
and Lemon.  Very good flavors. I'm smoking the Lemon right
now.  I've been smoking since 4pm yesterday non-stop,  I'm on
my 5th bowl.  I don't say that with pride,  because in my
honest opinion,  if smoked to often,  hookah smoking can be
very bad for the health.  I say this from experience, 
because quite often after smoking all day I'll find myself coughing-up
a storm.  I'm starting to get stomach pains from coughing so
much.  One time I coughed SO hard that I started to dry heave,
which as a result caused me to puke.  I just wiped-off my mouth
and went back to smoking my hookah.  That's how addicted I
am.  My brother wants me to join him at a health spa to try and
lose some weight.  But,  I'm not allowed to smoke while I'm
there.  WHAT???? I'd die if I couldn't bring my hookah along

So,  to answer your question,  yes,  too much hookah
smoking IS bad for your health.  Just like anything in life, 
moderation is the key to good health.  If I could quit smoking the
hookah,  I would.  But I'm too addicted to it.

Do yourself a HUGE favor and only smoke your hookah once or twice a
day.  Don't allow yourself to get addicted,  you'll only be
hurting yourself[/quote]

Hey Math, smoking hookah once or twice a day is still too much.

Also it sucks to see a fellow hookahforum member fall down the drain
like that. Your brother is right, you should join the gym or play some
sports, if you get yourself into rythm at the gym you will go everyday
and have enough will power and strength not to smoke often. Going to
the gym or playing sports makes you strong physicaly and mentally. I
suggest you give it a try.

[Mathazar]

Thanks for your insightfulness, Dmitri,  I'll consider what you
said and give the gym a try........IF I can get off my lazy ass and get
down to the gym 

Regarding the nicotine factor again:  One bowl of ma'assel is
supposed to be equal to 0.05% nicotine,  which in turn is supposed
to be the equivalent of 1.5 cigarettes.  That's what the tobacco
distributors and manufacturers want you to believe.  Though, not
very long ago,  I read an article claiming that one bowl of
ma'assel is the equivilent to the nicotine in 18 cigarettes. 

Quite frankly,  I don't know which is correct

[linkdead]

From my own personal view ... smoking of any kind can't be good for your health, as we aren't made to inhale smoke. But so are certain types of food, and wine or any other alcohol drink. So is sitting in a chair for 8 hours per day at work and staring at the monitor for 50 years.
Moderation, as already said before is the key. Not just with hookah. You won't get sick from one cup of good wine per day. You won't get sick and have high cholesetrol if you spend what you eat. You won't get sick from smoking one bowl of ma'assel every few day, as you probably inhale more smog and carbon dioxide and the rest of the crap on daily basis, and you probably passively smoke much more than that in your every day life when you go with your friends to a local pub, or stand arround co-workers that smoke cigs on the break, so smoking a hookah in moderation isn't really going to ad a significant factor into the equation.
I smoke one bowl per week and consider myself a purely social smoker. I enjoy it alot, and I usually share it with my GF or a friend, because I just love the social aspect. So I kinda reward myself after a hard week at work and enjoy the aroma while having a chit-chat with friend(s). I semi-competitively train Judo, run, swim, lift weights ... so far I did not notice any influence on my performance. I don't doubt that I would though if I'd smoke significantly more, but at current rate  I dont.
Nicotine, if we forget the addiction factor for a second, is probably the least hazardous thing for your health out of the stuff you inhale while smoking.

[HookahCulture]

Also remember that you're not absorbing a lot of the toxins because you're not holding the smoke really. OR ARE YOU? It should be a totally different smoking method.
Anyway, I've been assisting The Sacred Nargile on an article regarding hookah smoking and health. There have been studies, but the controls and methods are WAY out of whack compared to the normal American consumption habits and smoking methods. You ARE getting some carbon monoxide and other things because you're BURNING SUGARS.
Will let you all know when we have that together.
If you smoke a lot, you WILL get sucrose buildup in the lungs! I only smoke a bowl a few times a week!

[cypress]

Beautiful!!!! Candy coated lungs.  I guess its better than lungs that you can pave the road with?

[MonkeyBiz]

Honestly, I don't understand how people can smoke five plus bowls a
day. I might, MIGHT, smoke two or three times a week. Maybe it's just
my personality, but I've never really been overcome by the desire to
smoke. I smoke when I feel like it and enjoy it. Then again, I also run
and box and do stuff like that, so that has to have something to do
with it. 

[ju421019]

Here, I found a study that should help you all -- this is from a website:
 
[color="#666666"]Many people consider sheesha to be less harmful than smoking cigarettes. But according to a study conducted at King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, sheesha can be even more harmful. Sheesha smokers absorb more carbon monoxide than do cigarette smokers, putting themselves at greater risk for coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis and chronic respiratory disease. It can also retard fetal growth. Sheesha smokers using charcoal have higher levels of carbon monoxide in their blood than those using an electrical device. Carbon monoxide absorption is greatly increased when sheesha is smoked just prior to sleeping. Even minimal exposure to carbon monoxide is known to be harmful and people who smoke sheesha as little as once a day put themselves at risk. According to the study 15 minutes of smoking sheesha is equivalent to smoking one cigarette. The researchers defined a ‘smoker’ as anyone who smoked 15-30 grams of jurak each day. [/color]

[cypress]

I guess the solutions is to smoke the hookah like you would a cigar.  This will eliminate candy coated lungs and CO.

[wyteboy]

Such conflicting reports...
You guys have seen that picture of the air filter with hooka smoke and cig smoke....hookah CERTAINLY looks a TON better for you and your health than cigs...
I don't really think 15 mins of 1 bowl could be the equivalent of one cig, first off the hookah filters 80-90 percent of the nicotine AND there are also no added nutso chemicals put IN like FIBERGLASS, etc.
I think once a day is probably fine, though if I can eventually make it a once every week/2 weeks thing, I don't think I'll have much to worry about health-wise.

[ju421019]

I haven't seen the pic Wyteboy - can you post it on the forum.

I honestly don't go by what I think is right or not, or based on
someones post as to what they think is better -- tobacco is bad period
-- in order to determine which is better hookah or cig in regards to
health, i rather refer to the reports.

I can't say how much is fine or not - all i know is no tobacco is never
good -- obviously, some people try to convince themselves by saying
this number of times to smoke is good or not.

I dont know -- everyone should use their own judgement

[wyteboy]

also Math the washing out thing was very specific to king mo, i think, who owned alwaha in tubs or something.
yes tobacco is bad, but based on all the research and common sense involved in analyzing cigs, mj and hookah, I think personally that it is easy to see why hookah is the least bad for you.

[NERV]

I smoke 3 or 4 bowls a day, and haven't had any reprocussions; but that
may be because I've only been smoking for 3 years. (assuming most other
members have bene smoking longer) It could also be that I haven't
noticed any problems since I am not very active, but spring is here and
I've got more energy. So, I guess we'll find out in a few weeks.

[cypress]

[quote name='ju421019']I haven't seen the pic Wyteboy - can you post it on the forum.[/quote]

I will help you out with this because I have already posted the link on
this thread. Check the 2nd post on this thread and its the second link.