Water-Pipe (Narghile) Smoking: An Emerging Health Risk Behavior

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Narghile, or water-pipe smoking (WPS), has been practiced extensively for ϳ400 years. It is common in the Arabian Peninsula, Turkey, India, Pakistan, and other countries. In recent years, there has been a revival of WPS, notably among youth. Most US health professionals are unfamiliar with the practice and health consequences of WPS. Therefore, this trend presents a new challenge for adolescent health care providers. The composition of the tobacco used in WPS is variable and not well standardized. Studies that have examined narghile smokers and the aerosol of narghile smoke have reported high concentrations of carbon monoxide, nicotine, "tar," and heavy metals. These concentrations were as high or higher than those among cigarette smokers. The few scientific data regarding the adverse health consequences of WPS point to dangers that are similar to those associated with cigarette smoking: malignancy, impaired pulmonary function, low birth weight, and others. Additional dangers not encountered with cigarette smoking are infectious diseases resulting from pipe sharing and the frequent addition of alcohol or psychoactive drugs to the tobacco. Public health strategies for controlling the emerging epidemic of WPS include carrying out epidemiologic and toxicologic research; implementation of laws to limit acquisition and use; and health education, targeting adolescents in particular.

The Prevalence, Attitudes, and Correlates of Waterpipe Smoking Among High School Students in Iran: a Cross-Sectional Study

“…It is estimated that around 100 million people, especially adolescents, use this method of smoking [2][3][4]. The WP has different names in different countries such as qalyan, goza, narghile, argileh, shisha, hubble-bubble, hookah, and mu'asel [5,6].…”

“…This increase can be explained by several reasons: the main one is the misconception that WP smoking is less harmful than cigarette smoking due to the smoke being passed through the water and filtered prior to inhalation [4,21]. Other factors that attract WP smokers, especially adolescents, are its aromatic and condensed smoke, attractive pipe design, availability, inexpensive tobacco, and social acceptance because of traditional associations and it being less stigmatized than cigarette smoking [22].…”

Fallacies about Water Pipe Use in Turksih University Students - What Might Be the Consequences?

“…A total of 6.3% of the students (n=79) believe that waterpipe is not harmful because its smoke does not burn the lungs, 25.33% (n=318) think that the carcinogenic chemicals are filtered while waterpipe smoke passes from the water and 4.24% have no idea. In the studies, it is emphasized that waterpipe smoking has many risks such as lung diseases and cancer (Knishkowy et al, 2005;Primack et al, 2008;Noonan et al, 2009;Akl et al, 2010;Abughosh et al, 2012). A recent systematic review of studies of health effects of waterpipe smoking shows that waterpipe smoking doubles the risk of lung cancer (Akl et al, 2010;Maziak, 2013).…”

“…Furthermore, waterpipe smokers spend about 45 minutes or an hour smoking waterpipe, thus they are exposed to many harmful chemicals during this time. So, even though they smoke waterpipe infrequently, they may get harmed by it (Shihadeh et al, 2005;Knishkowy et al, 2005;Abughosh et al, 2012). In the study by Maziak et al, it is declared that the amount of nicotine in waterpipe is higher than the one in cigarette (Akl et al, 2010;Koul et al, 2011;Maziak, 2013).…”

Les teneurs en CO dans les bars à chicha : étude de cas à Paris en fonction de la consommation et de la ventilation des locaux

“…D'autres auteurs comme Zahran et al [8,9] se sont intéressés au taux de carboxyhémoglobine dans le sang des clients fréquentant les cafés à chicha d'Arabie Saoudite. D'autres travaux aux États-Unis ont porté sur la composition chimique du tabac utilisé dans le narguilé et ses répercussions sur la santé [8,10]. En France, on recense quelques travaux sur la qualité de l'air intérieur comme l'étude menée par l'Observatoire de la qualité de l'air intérieur (OQAI) entre 2003 et 2005 dans plus de 700 logements [5], ou l'étude sur la qualité de l'air intérieur dans 112 immeubles de bureaux de la région parisienne, conduite par le Laboratoire d'hygiène de la ville de Paris (LHVP) entre 1986 et 1991, qui a, en partie, examiné les teneurs en CO dans les bureaux en fonction de la présence ou non de fumeurs [11].…”