8/24/09: Shisha or hookah smoking "as harmful as cigarettes" according to a UK Ministry of Health study.
Click here to read the BBC News article about the study. The key finding is that the carbon monoxide levels exhaled by people who just smoke hookah, exceeded those of heavy smokers, and it affected 8-12% of their blood. The article stated that "high levels of carbon monoxide can lead to brain damage and unconsciousness". The article also states "one session of smoking shisha - that's 10 milligrams (of fruit tobacco) for 30 minutes - gave carbon monoxide levels that were at the lowest four and five times higher than having a cigarette."
Read more in the hookah section of our website.
Last update: 4/11/11