HEALTH
Far from
harmless
The popularity of shisha smoking
is rising and, alarmingly for users,
research has found it can be as
harmful as smoking cigarettes,
reports Phil Brent.
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hisha contains tobacco, which is widely unknown.
Smoking the water pipe has very high risks for
users’ health including nicotine addiction, heart
disease, cancer, second-hand smoke, gum disease
and low birth rate.
Infectious disease can also be transmitted through the
sharing of the same mouthpiece, such as oral herpes and
tuberculosis. And the second-hand smoke can harm others.
Dr Mohammed Jawad from Imperial College London
has done extensive research on shisha smoking.
He said: “Many people believe shisha is less harmful
than cigarettes, because of its fruity taste or because the
smoke passes through, and is somehow filtered by, water.
Not only is this perception incorrect, but it’s opposite to
what our research has found.”
Ealing Council has also identified shisha as a problem
among local school children. A recent survey revealed that
about 8% of 13 and 15 year-olds have smoked shisha.
“Shisha tobacco use is worryingly popular among
secondary school and university students of ranging
ethnicities, particularly in London,” said Dr Jawad. “Even
though it’s illegal for under-18s to buy shisha in the UK,
about a third of under-18s who have tried shisha took their
first puff illegally in a café.
“It’s important that the community is aware of the
harmful risks of shisha tobacco use so informed decisions
can be made.”
Tobacco-free or herbal shisha is not safe either – users
are still at risk from the carbon monoxide and any toxins
in the coal or charcoal used to burn the shisha.
Businesses serving shisha water pipes need to have
smoking areas that comply with the smoke-free laws,
including being at least 50% open-air to allow the smoke
to escape. The council is offering advice, as well as cracking
down, if companies do not meet these regulations.
Read more at ealingnewsextra.co.uk/features/shisha
or, to quit smoking visit www.nhs.uk/smokefree
around ealing April 2018
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