Even as the age-old water pipe with a smoke chamber is a fad at most restaurants and pubs in the city, watch out as hookah causes more harm than most of us think or imagine. A recent survey claims that Indian youth are getting addicted to hookah in the mistaken belief that it is a healthy alternative to cigarettes.

According to the Global Adults Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2009-10, India accounts for over seven million hookah users among a total of 274.9 million tobacco users. Experts say hookah smokers are prone to lung cancer, oral cancer, heart diseases and respiratory disorders.
While proponents of hookah smoking argue that hookah leaves one with an option of not inhaling the smoke into the lungs and instead they puff out the smoke as on a pipe, health experts reveal startling facts.
“There is no difference between cigarettes and hookah. Tobacco is no less toxic in a hookah pipe. Hookah smokers may actually inhale more tobacco smoke than cigarette smokers because of the large volume of smoke they inhale in one smoking session. Hookah smoking delivers about the same amount of nicotine as cigarette smoking does, possibly leading to tobacco dependence,” says Dr Harit Chaturvedi, chief consultant and director, Surgical Oncology, Max Healthcare.
Refuting the myth that hookah smoke is filtered through water before it is inhaled which makes it less harmful, Dr Wasim Phoplunkar, consultant radiation oncologist at International Oncology Services says, “Tobacco is no less toxic in a hookah pipe, and the water in the hookah does not filter out the toxic ingredients in the tobacco smoke. In fact, hookah smokers are exposed to more carbon monoxide and smoke than are cigarette smokers. Hookah smoke poses dangers associated with secondhand smoke.”
He further warns that hookah smoking by pregnant women can result in low birth weight babies. “Hookah pipes used in hookah bars and cafes may not be cleaned properly, risking the spread of infectious diseases,” he adds.
With the water pipe becoming a trend of sorts, experts warn that the flavoured water can cause more harm. “In fact many of them believe that it is just flavoured water containing a mild form of tobacco. But this isn’t true. Tobacco in all forms, irrespective of amount consumed, is carcinogenic. Hookah smoking can lead to cancer including that of oral cavity, lungs and it is as dangerous as chewing paan or smoking cigarettes,” says Dr Amol Akhade, consultant, medical oncology, Heamto Oncology International Oncology.
When asked, the manager of a popular hookah hub (name withheld on request) in the capital said he was clueless about the health hazards. “Since it is filtered through water, I don’t think it’s harmful at all, unlike cigarettes. We don’t allow our consumers to smoke and the smoke from hookah is not hazardous,” he tells us.
As for youngsters, many who don’t smoke are addicted to hookah as they think it’s cooler and healthier than a cigarette. “I have a hookah at home and my friends often come over for a hookah party. My father is a doctor but never told me that it’s harmful. I don’t think it is hazardous unless you consume it often. But I do agree that it’s very addictive,” says Rishab Kapoor (name changed on request).