FACTS ABOUT HOOKAH
Yes, smoking hookah can get you addicted to nicotine. And although it feels like a clean smoke, hookah is not better for you than smoking cigarettes. We review the health risks of hookah and the signs of hookah addiction here.
What’s Dangerous About Hookah?
Smoke from waterpipes contains significant amounts of nicotine, tar and heavy metals. In fact, a 60 minute hookah session will expose you to 100-200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette. In addition, smoking tobacco through water does not filter out cancer causing chemicals (carcinogens) such as carbon monoxide. Filtered tobacco smoke that you pull through a hookah can damage the lungs and heart as much as cigarette smoke.
Hookah And Nicotine
Nicotine is one of the most addictive chemicals . And it is 100% present during a hookah session. Hookah smokers actually inhale more nicotine than do cigarette smokers because of the massive volume of smoke they inhale. Nicotine increases levels of dopamine in the reward circuits of the brain. This reaction is similar to a feeling of euphoria or getting high and is thought to underlie the pleasurable sensations experienced by many smokers. For many tobacco users, continued nicotine exposure results in chemical changes in the brain and can result in addiction.Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms
Nicotine withdrawal symptoms usually begin within a few hours after you last use tobacco, peak within the first few days of smoking cessation and usually subside within a few weeks. For some people, however, symptoms of withdrawal may persist for months. Symptoms of withdrawal from the nicotine contained in hookah include:
- anxiety
- attention deficits
- craving
- depression
- increased appetite
- irritability
- impaired cognitive skills
- sleep disturbances
Signs Of Hookah Addiction
Smoking tobacco produces a rapid distribution of nicotine in the brain, with drug levels peaking within 10 seconds of inhalation. However, the acute effects of nicotine dissipate quickly, as do the associated feelings of reward. This cycle of up-and-down causes a tobacco smoker to continue dosing to maintain the pleasurable effects and prevent withdrawal and cravings and is the basis for hookah addiction. But hookah addiction is characterized by a number of factors, including compulsive drug seeking and use, even in the face of negative health consequences. In other words, you may be addicted to hookah if you:
- You spend significant time, energy or money on hookah sessions or hookah related activities
- You experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms when you stop smoking
- You continue to smoke from a hookah despite negative consequences to your health, work, social or family obligations
- You think obsessively about hookah
