Hookah also known as a Waterpipe or Narghile is a single or multi-stemmed instrument for vaporizing and smoking flavored tobacco called shisha in which the vapor or smoke is passed through a water basin—often glass-based—before inhalation.
Health risks of smoking hookah include exposure to toxic chemicals that are not filtered out by the water and risk of infectious disease when hookahs are shared. Also users are exposed to secondhand smoke when used indoors with especially high levels in Hookah lounges.
In recent years, Hookah lounges have become popular among college students. Health professionals are concerned that many young people are unaware that Shisha is a form of tobacco. They may have made a healthy decision not to smoke cigarettes and are unwittingly exposing themselves to the same health risks. Other health risks when sharing pipes is spreading tuberculosis, flu, herpes and other infections.
