One hour of smoking hookah is equal to smoking 100 cigarettes, said the doctor

According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, the volume of smoke inhaled during one hookah session can be equivalent to smoking 100 or more cigarettes. This alarming discovery is related not only to the number of puffs but also to the depth of inhalation and the duration of smoke exposure on the body.

As reported by BAKU.WS, this was stated to "Gazeta.Ru" by well-known Russian specialist, psychiatrist, and narcologist Ruslan Isaev.

"At first glance, hookah may seem like a relatively harmless alternative to cigarettes: flavored tobacco, smoke passing through water, a long and "relaxing" smoking ritual. However, scientific data indicates exactly the opposite. The WHO provides detailed information about the harm of hookah smoking and its comparability to cigarette smoking. The WHO indicates that a typical hookah smoking session lasts about an hour and is accompanied by approximately 200 puffs, while when smoking one cigarette, a person takes an average of 20 puffs. The volume of smoke inhaled during such a hookah session can be equivalent to smoking 100 or more cigarettes," the doctor explained.

According to Isaev, hookah smoke contains many of the same toxic substances as cigarette smoke: nicotine, carbon monoxide, heavy metals, carcinogens. International studies confirm that the passage of smoke through water does not eliminate these substances, but only creates a false sense of "softness" and safety. This can contribute to even deeper inhalation of toxins.

"Tobacco in cigarettes burns at a temperature of about 900°C. This high-temperature combustion leads to the formation of many toxic substances, including carcinogens. In a hookah, tobacco undergoes smoldering at a lower temperature (about 450-600°C), heated by coal. Despite the lower temperature, this does not make the process safe. Hookah smoke contains the same toxic substances as cigarette smoke, including nicotine, carbon monoxide, heavy metals, carcinogens, and combustion products. As for addiction, there is also no reason to consider hookah safer. After just a few episodes of regular use, both psychological and physiological dependence can form," Isaev warned.