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Shisha 'as harmful as cigarettes'
By Perminder Khatkar
BBC Asian Network
![]() Shisha is an Arabic water-pipe in which fruit-scented tobacco is burnt |
Smoking a shisha pipe is as bad for people as smoking tobacco, the Department of
Health and the Centre for Tobacco Control Research has found.
Health and the Centre for Tobacco Control Research has found.
People who smoke shisha, or herbal tobacco, can suffer from
high carbon monoxidelevels, its research revealed.
It found one session of smoking shisha resulted in carbonmonoxide levels
at least four to five times higher than the amount produced by a cigarette.
High levels of carbon monoxide can lead to brain damage
and unconsciousness.Shisha is an Arabic water-pipe in
which fruit-scented tobacco is burnt using coal,passed through an
ornate water vessel and inhaled through a hose.
Dr Hilary Wareing, director of the Centre for Tobacco Control Research, told the
BBC's Asian Network she was shocked by the results of the research.
"Our mouths opened at the level of harm - none of the tests we
did showed anythingother than shisha is hazardous to health."
Paul Hooper, regional manager at the Department of Health, said
the findings madethe dangers of shisha a "major issue".
He said many people regard shisha "as not even smoking".
Misconception
Shisha bars, which are typically decked out with low stools and soft cushions to
create an inviting atmosphere, have become popular in cities across the UK,
particularly London, Manchester and Birmingham.
![]() | ![]() ![]() Dr Hilary Wareing Centre for Tobacco Control Research |
An activity largely associated with Middle Eastern customers and a
young crowd,there is a growing trend of themed shisha parties.
Many people who go to "shisha evenings"
think it is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes.
"You never see it in the news - 'that is terrible, don't do it' -
there's no shock tactics like (there is with) cigarettes," said one young woman.
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