Hookah use is unsafe, unhealthy

I am a senior at Providence High School. I just wanted to bring to your attention the growing popularity of hookahs, which are water pipes used to smoke tobacco that comes in different flavors.

It originated in Persia and India long ago but has spread globally and has been especially used among the youth today as a common social activity.

Recently I have been exposed to hookah smoking and was told by many people that it is relaxing and a better and safer alternative for them instead of smoking cigarettes. The smoke passes through water which supposedly “filters out the bad stuff.” However, my close friend warned me that those are just myths and hookahs actually have huge detrimental effects. I decided to do my own research and learned my friend was right. It does not filter out the toxins from tobacco smoke and, in fact, hookah smokers possibly inhale more tobacco than cigarette smokers do. Hookah tobacco and smoke have toxic substances that cause many types of cancers and diseases.

For example, the high levels of carbon monoxide found in water pipes can cause fatigue, chest pain and dizziness. And, high levels of benzene found have been linked to leukemia. Water-pipe smoking delivers nicotine, the addictive drug found in cigarettes. Also, the secondhand smoke poses a serious health risk to the people around them, including non-smokers. Overall, hookah use is basically just as unsafe and unhealthy as cigarette use.

Genna Amado
Burbank