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Qatar Study Shows Shisha Smoking Linked To Cancers

The smoke from a person smoking shisha
The instruments used in shisha smoking

Three shishas with different sizes, shapes and designs.

Qatari study finds recreational shisha (hookah) smoking puts the public in serious health risks.

In a study published in the International Journal of Public Health last July, a group of researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar investigated the risk factors of regular recreational shisha smoking, a popular pastime activity in Qatar and the Middle East. Even though previously claimed by health specialists, the study concluded that regular shisha smoking is linked to the development of several form of cancer and other illnesses.

The conclusion was formulated from a compilation of 28 independent studies on both tobacco smoking itself, as well as shisha smokers. According to the findings, shisha can lead to cancer in the head, throat, stomach, lungs, and bladder, among other forms of cancer and serious illnesses.

Shisha smoking the practice of inhaling water-filtered vaporized flavored tobacco. There are several names used for the shisha, like waterpipe, hookah and arguile. The practice originates from the Persian Safavid dynasty, and soon spread over Ottoman ruled areas. Today it is a very common recreational practice, not only in the Middle East, but has also gained large popularity in many regions of the world. In the Arab World however, the practice has become an everyday recreational habit to many.

For long, shisha smoking was considered a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes. However, several modern studies have proven it not just as harmful as smoking cigarettes, but even more worse.

Regardless of how you smoke it, tobacco contains over 4000 chemicals, 50 of which are known carcinogens according to a WHO report from 2010. And when people thought that the water would filter the smoke from harmful chemicals, the study shows that people are actually inhaling 50 liters of smoke per 45 minutes of smoking, compared to the 1 liter inhaled per cigarette.

One generally overlooked hazard is second-hand smoke. It might be commonly known that second-hand cigarette smoke is harmful to those around the smoker, but this fact is generally neglected, or not known when it comes to shisha smoke. Since they are usually smoked during gathering, and in cafes and restaurants, shishas emit much more smoke, to a larger amount of people.

Qatari officials have been trying to cut down the countries tobacco smoking rates for a while now. They have made it illegal to smoke in closed spaces, and restaurants have been ordered to set aside at least half of their outdoor tables for non-smoker. However, these laws often go unimplemented.

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