DANGERS OF SMOKING SHISHA

 Shisha are water pipes that are used to smoke specially made tobacco mixtures that comes in a wide variety of flavors.

Smoking shisha involves burning wood, coal or charcoal to heat up, it produces smoke, the smoke bubbles through a bowl of water or other liquid and into a long hose like tube or pipe. The tobacco usually comes in different flavors such as Mint, Cola, Cherry, Lemon, lime, Coffee, Chocolate, Coconut, Apple, Licorice and other fruity blends.

Other names for Shisha include Hookah, Narghi, Butte, Argileh, Hubble - bubble, and Goza. Shisha smoking is becoming increasingly popular in Nigeria, particularly in urban areas and are mostly practice especially among young people. 

Shisha contains nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide and heavy metal. Such as Arsenic and Lead. As a result, Shisha can be at risk of different kinds of diseases such as heart or circulatory disease, Cancer, Respiratory diseases. 

Smoking Shisha is safer than smoking cigarettes, many people think that drawing tobacco smoke through water makes shisha less harmful than cigarette, but that is not true. Although the smoke passes through water, this does not eliminate the hazardous addictive chemicals released from tobacco. 

Medical practitioners have strongly advice people to shun smoking due to the adverse health effects associated with the habit. 

One of the negative effect of smoking shisha is nicotine addiction, nicotine is an addictive drug that can have lasting damaging effects on brain development, and nicotine contained in shisha is almost the same amount in cigarette. Although there are some shisha labeled nicotine free, but then the smoke produces dangerous substances such as carbon monoxide, metals and other chemicals. Unlike cigarette, shisha is burnt using charcoal or wood ciders. Other adverse health effects include lungs, bladder and oral cancer. 

Countries that have banned the smoking of shisha are Singapore, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Jordan, Uganda and Saudi Arabia. A Civil Society Organisation, called Environmental Right Action/Friends of earth Nigeria urged the Federal Government to emulate countries that have banned the smoking of shisha, due to its addictiveness and deadly effect on the health of the smokers. 

These are some of the legislation the World Health Oganisation took in order to help educate people on shisha smoking to help reduce the intake of shisha. 

So when next you want to take shisha ask yourself are you willing to take all the complications associated with it.