Shisha is more dangerous than cigarettes. Shisha smoking health risks not only include heart disease, respiratory problems, lung and mouth cancer, but also risks of transmitting diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis.
Most of the Shisha tobacco is scented making it hard for smoker to realize that they are smoking tobacco. Unlike regular tobacco products shisha tobacco comes with a variety of flavors that disguise the tobacco smell. These include apple, mint, and strawberry.
Because of these sweet flavors addition many young people are attacked to it. It has no health warning like cigarettes even though them the cigarettes need pictorial warning.
In every single session shisha smokers inhale up to 200 times more smoke than they get from a cigarette smoke. Smoking shisha exposes the person to toxins coming from the chemicals of water pipes. And also you know tobacco smoking affects pregnancies leading to per-mature births, low birth weights and sometimes babies are born dead.
Shisha smoking can pass on bacteria and viruses like herpes through the use of pipes which are believed to never be sterilized.
Smoking Shisha is addictive as it appears the physical and psychological dependence on nicotine that occurs in cigarette smoking are the same.
There are also studies that show that using a water pipe can increase infectious disease transmission and there can also be more dental problems. The metals in the pipes don’t appear to be a problem but it’s the metals in the smoke.There are much more metals found in shisha than found in cigarettes.
The rampant appearance of shisha in different places is a sign that more people are trying it and whatever the reasons for recruiting and continuous use of the product has social effects that have big impacts to lives of the different people who smoke it and non smokers.
These are seen in the different circles of family and friends, in finding romance, in the application of jobs, public places… you should know humans are social being and can’t live alone.
For a potential lover shisha smoking can be a turn off because smokers tend to have wrinkled skins and may appear physically less attractive and weak, this is due to the decrease in blood supply to the major parts of the body like the skin. This makes smokers look older. Plus their clothes tend to smell the scent from shisha.
It should be known that some people are allergic to tobacco smoke and will keep their distance from smokers. Also as already known tobacco smoking can interfere in the sexual performance, and shisha which is 200 times more than a cigarettes has more effects.
It causes sexual dysfunction in males and in females it reduces fertility, causes miscarriage and increases risk of losing babies to sudden infant death syndrome plus all the other oral transferred diseases.
If the tobacco control bill is passed and implemented which I pray it is, shisha smokers will be illegal in Uganda. If you are found smoking in places that are considered smoke free you would have to pay a fine that will dig a hole in your pockets.
Shisha smoking losses you friends who can’t take your lung burning habits anymore. These are mainly those who are considered about their health. You don’t want to chase your friends and family members away because of a habit you can control and stop. Did you know you lose your sense of smell and taste when you smoke tobacco either shisha or cigarettes? The toxins and tar in the tobacco can dull the taste bud which leads to reduced enjoyment of food.
And lastly, one long term consequence of smoking shisha is increased dependency and this can affect your work performance because you need a smoking break. This in some smoker has caused smokers to experience struggles in finding suitable job employment.
Hello there. I drew the picture you’ve used for this page. It was on the previous version of my company (Kick It Stop Smoking Service)’s website. Quite a compliment that you’ve used it!
I’m working on some Shisha slides for a presentation next week and have read that ONE PUFF of Shisha is equivalent to the same amount of smoke as a smoker would get from smoking a whole cigarette. That’s rather scary. Also the reason for charcoal, wood or coal being used to burn the tobacco, is that fruit syrups and sugars added to the tobacco make it damp so it won’t burn.
Good luck with your work 🙂
Trish
Hello Trish, Thank you for drawing this, it has helped a lot with campaign against Shisha use in Uganda.
I also found out that One Shisha pot session is equivalent to 100 cigarettes.
Would like to look at your slides if possible….
Regards