So You Smoke Arghile

Admit it, we’ve all tried it. It’s an integral part of our Arab culture. Yet I find that so many people are unaware of the adverse affects of arghile, believing it to be the healthier alternative to cigarettes. Ah, so amusing. Time to burst the smoke filled bubble of ignorant chain-smokers whose lungs will undoubtedly thank me.

Did you know that smoking arghile (also known as Hookah, Hubble-Bubble, Sheesha, and I-want-Lung-Cancer) for one hour is equivalent to smoking 40 cigarettes? Read it again. 40. 

Did you know that arghile smoke has no filter to prevent  toxins from entering your body? Yes, it may be a water pipe, but water-filtered smoke damages the lungs just as much as cigarette smoke, if not more. 

Did you know that arghile contains nicotine, so is in fact addictive? One hour of arghile is the same as smoking 100 to 200 times the amount of smoke from just one cigarette.

Did you know that the flavoring of arghile is even worse than the natural tobacco? Flavors make it much easier for harmful toxins to absorb into your bloodstream, as well as containing tar that sticks to the lungs and trachea.

Smoking cigarettes and cigars are terrible for your health. Smoking arghile is even worse. In fact, in comparison to cigarettes, arghile is known to contain 36 times more tar, 15 times more carbon monoxide, 70 times more nicotine, and high levels of arsenic, lead and nickel. 69 different carcinogens in total. Still not convinced about its detrimental affects? I continue. 

Sharing a mouthpiece without washing it, as is often done in Lebanon, increases the risk of catching flu, colds, infections, and oh yes! Oral herpes. Need I say more? 

Arghile has been linked to several types of cancer, namely lung, mouth and jaw cancer, as well as heart disease, dental disease, and even infertility and impotence. Arghile smokers are also seven times more likely than non-smokers to have symptoms of gym disease and mouth cancer.

Lastly, arghile smoke, as with all other types of smoke, is worsened through second-hand experience. So, by smoking your sex-on-the-beach-flavored-oral-herpes-infested-water-pipe you are basically imposing your unhealthy habits on other people. Which isn’t really nice now is it?

But hey, I bet you couldn’t see through all that smoke.