Saudi Gazette report Hookah smokers commonly believe it is less harmful than smoking cigarettes. However, many studies have shown that smoking hookah, or shisha as it is known in Arab countries, for an hour releases four times PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and 30 times the carbon monoxide, the main cause of coronary artery blockage, than smoking cigarettes. PAHs have been identified as carcinogenic and mutagenic. A widely common practice among young men and women, hookah smoking can cause gum, tongue, bladder and esophagus diseases, in addition to a number of cancers. The negative effects of second-hand hookah smoke is 10-20 times worse than second-hand cigarette smoke, according to a report in Al-Riyadh daily. Muhammad Al-Mayouf, executive director of the Anti-Smoking Society, said treating cigarette-related diseases over the past 25 years has cost the Kingdom SR10 billion. “Smoking hookah for an hour is equal to smoking a packet of cigarettes, a fact that indicates that the harmful effects of it outweigh the effects of cigarettes,” he said. “To treat a person with cancer that is caused by smoking costs between SR80,000 and SR250,000. We don't treat cancers but we help smokers give up smoking by offering them various treatment programs. Those who smoke hookahs should realize that they are more dangerous than cigarettes and this is a fact,” he added. Dangerous addiction About 20 percent of cigarette smokers tend to smoke hookah on a daily basis, especially when they get together with friends. This is true for men and women alike because of the popularity of hookah in the Kingdom. The number of hookah smokers getting treatment at the Anti-Smoking Society is low because the majority of smokers believe hookahs are not harmful. “We have discovered that 60 percent of the shortness of breath symptoms can be attributed to the collection of a noticeable amount of liquids in the lungs, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke among hookah smokers,” he explained. Dr. Reda Al-Mahwashi, a pulmonology consultant at King Saud Hospital, said smoking hookah can, in the long run, cause Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), coronary artery disease and even lead to a heart attack. “Many people have this misconception that hookahs are less harmful than cigarettes and this is not true,” he said, adding that several studies have shown that women are more prone to the harmful effects of smoking than men. Abu Helmi is an Arab expatriate who works for a local café here. He said 30 percent of customers are people over 40 and most of them come to smoke hookah. “The monthly profits are huge and can reach tens of thousands of riyals sometimes. Young men who are less than 18 years old are not allowed to enter or order hookah,” he added. Nouf has smoked hookah for 10 years and cannot stop now. She did it for fun in the beginning but later she could not give it up because she had become addicted. “I know hookahs are bad for me but I cannot stop it. Perhaps I don't want to stop it,” she said.
