That’s what the hookah smokers always seem to claim, but the NYT says yes they are:

That study also found that the water in hookahs filters out less than 5 percent of the nicotine. Moreover, hookah smoke contains tar, heavy metals and other cancer-causing chemicals. An additional hazard: the tobacco in hookahs is heated with charcoal, leading to dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide, even for people who spend time in hookah bars without actually smoking, according to a recent University of Florida study.

8 replies on “They’re Not Really Smokers”

  1. This article is pretty bogus… it cites no real research. It says hookah smoke contains bad stuff. But not specifically what or how much. Obviously its not going to be *good* for you, but banning hookahs is stupid. Let people make their own decisions.

  2. I’ve never seen a scientific article about the actual hazards of hookah smoke. Give me the deets. I want numbers. Till then, it’s second hand smoke for you when I get off work, mister Holden.

  3. @1: “Obviously its not going to be *good* for you, but banning hookahs is stupid. Let people make their own decisions.”

    As much as I agree with you, tell that to *all* anti-smoking legislation.

  4. Shisha tobacco is a different animal from the stuff in cigarettes. No one would claim it was good for you, but it certainly isn’t the chemical disaster cigarettes are. Furthermore, shisha is nowhere near as addictive as cigarettes, no one develops a three bowl a day hookah habit.

  7. I don’t inhale…am I safe?

    Fuck, first my cell phone, NOW my hookah!? What kind of Tuesday is this? What am I suppose to do with my free time?

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