London, August 25: It may be a symbol of Middle Eastern culture and a trendy pastime for British youths, but the shisha water pipe that burns sweet scented tobacco is just as bad for your health as smoking cigarettes.
Research from Britain’s Department of Health and the Tobacco Control Collaborating Centre showed that people who regularly smoke shisha can suffer from dangerous levels of carbon monoxide – similar to sucking on a car exhaust or entering a room with a faulty boiler.
“We are trying to say to people, ‘If you want to do it, this is the effect it will have on you,'” said Paul Hooper of the Department of Health.
Hooper said results varied on how individuals inhaled the smoke, but one session of shisha smoking can result in carbon monoxide levels at least five times higher than the amount received by one cigarette.
Shisha, traditionally smoked in Middle Eastern countries, has grown in popularity in Britain, with many young people smoking the water pipe in cafes and bars around the country.
–Agencies