The Middle East gave rise to the popular tobacco smoking practice known as shisha, or hookah, which has now spread around the world. It entails using a water pipe, frequently shared by a group of people, to smoke flavored tobacco. Smoking shisha can be just as hazardous, if not more so, than smoking cigarettes, despite what some people may think.
The idea that shisha has less nicotine than cigarettes is one among the most common fallacies about it. Actually, a single shisha session can have the same amount of nicotine in it as 100 cigarettes. This is because shisha smoke is cooled by passing through water, enabling users to inhale more deeply and for a longer period of time, increasing the amount of nicotine absorbed.
Along with nicotine, shisha smoke also includes toxic substances like carbon monoxide, tar, and heavy metals. These compounds may harm the body in a number of ways, increasing the risk of respiratory issues, heart disease, and cancer. Furthermore, shisha smoking frequently takes place in a social setting, which increases the danger of users contracting infectious diseases from other users.
In the UK, tobacco products including cigarettes can only be purchased by those who are 18 or older. It is prohibited for anybody under the age of 18 to purchase or consume shisha goods, therefore this also applies to shisha. It’s also important to remember that UK legislation forbids smoking in public areas, including shisha salons.
In the UK, opening a shisha lounge can be pricey. Pipes, bowls, hoses, and charcoal can cost anything from a few hundred to several thousand pounds in equipment. Additional costs to think about include rent, license fees, and other costs. Some estimates place the overall cost of opening a shisha lounge in the UK in the £25,000 to £50,000 range or above.
In conclusion, despite the fact that smoking shisha may appear like a fun and safe hobby, it can actually be just as hazardous as smoking cigarettes, if not more so. High nicotine content and other dangerous compounds included in shisha smoke can have a lot of detrimental impacts on one’s health. In the UK, it is also forbidden to smoke in public areas, and it is unlawful for anybody under the age of 18 to buy or use shisha products. Last but not least, opening a shisha lounge in the UK can be an expensive endeavor because of the equipment and licensing costs, which can total tens of thousands of pounds.
Hookah is referred to as (pronounced shisha) in Arabic.