Question
Hookah smoking: Is it safer than cigarettes?
Is hookah smoking safer than smoking cigarettes? I've been told that the water used in the hookah makes the tobacco less toxic.
Answer
from Richard D. Hurt, M.D.
Hookah smoking is not safer than cigarette smoking. Also known as narghile, shisha and goza, a hookah is a water pipe with a smoke chamber, a bowl, a pipe and a hose. Specially made tobacco is heated, and the smoke passes through water and is then drawn through a rubber hose to a mouthpiece. The tobacco is no less toxic in a hookah pipe, and the water in the hookah does not filter out the toxic ingredients in the tobacco smoke. Hookah smokers may actually inhale more tobacco smoke than cigarette smokers do because of the large volume of smoke they inhale in one smoking session, which can last as long as 60 minutes.
While research about hookah smoking is still emerging, evidence shows that it poses many dangers:
- Hookah smoke contains high levels of toxic compounds, including tar, carbon monoxide, heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens). In fact, hookah smokers are exposed to more carbon monoxide and smoke than are cigarette smokers.
- As with cigarette smoking, hookah smoking is linked to lung and oral cancers, heart disease and other serious illnesses.
- Hookah smoking delivers about the same amount of nicotine as cigarette smoking does, possibly leading to tobacco dependence.
- Hookah smoke poses dangers associated with secondhand smoke.
- Hookah smoking by pregnant women can result in low birth weight babies.
- Hookah pipes used in hookah bars and cafes may not be cleaned properly, risking the spread of infectious diseases.
Question
Quit smoking, gain weight: Is it inevitable?
Is weight gain inevitable after you quit smoking? What causes it?
Answer
from Richard D. Hurt, M.D.
It's fairly common to gain weight after you stop smoking, especially in the first few months — but it isn't inevitable.Smoking acts as an appetite suppressant and may slightly increase your metabolism as well. When you quit smoking, your appetite and metabolism return to normal — which may lead you to eat more and burn fewer calories. Also, your ability to smell and taste food improves after you quit smoking. This can make food more appealing, which may lead you to eat more. And if you substitute snacking for smoking, the calories may quickly add up.To avoid weight gain when you quit smoking, make diet and exercise part of your stop-smoking plan. It may help to:- Get moving. Include physical activity in your daily routine. Regular exercise not only burns calories but also helps relieve withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
- Make wise food choices. Plan good-for-you meals that include plenty of fruits and vegetables. Eat smaller portions. Limit sweets and alcohol.
- Choose healthy snacks. If you're hungry between meals, opt for snacks such as fresh fruit or canned fruit packed in its own juices, low-fat air-popped popcorn or fat-free yogurt.
Above all, remember that the health benefits of being smoke-free far exceed the problems associated with even moderate weight gain.
