Waterpipe Smoking
Waterpipe Smoking (Hookah)
What is Waterpipe Smoking?
Waterpipe smoking, also known as hookah, narghile and shisha, dates back several centuries. Its origin is traced to India and also to South Africa, Persia and Ethiopa.
Using a waterpipe involves smoking products known as 鈥渟hisha.鈥 Traditional tobacco shisha is a mixture of tobacco, glycerin and/or honey with varying amounts of nicotine. Shisha is also available without tobacco and the non-tobacco products are often described as 鈥渉erbal.鈥
Waterpipe Smoking and Disease
Tobacco smoke from waterpipes has been linked to diseases also known to be associated with cigarette use. Such diseases include;
- malignancies
- cardiovascular disease
- lung diseases
- pregnancy complications
- oral or dental complications
- hematologic disturbances
- genetic abnormalities
Recent Alberta research has found that even the non-tobacco, or 鈥渉erbal鈥 shisha products used in waterpipes produce toxic air pollutants 鈥 including carbon monoxide, volatile aldehydes and polyaromatic hydrocarbons.
Waterpipe users are at an increased risk of communicable diseases like herpes and meningococcal disease that are transmitted through sharing waterpipe mouthpieces.
Inaccurate Content Labelling
There are no labelling standards for shisha in Canada. Without laboratory analysis, it is difficult to accurately identify all the constituents of these products. As such, consumers are not able to readily assess the contents to know what they are purchasing and consuming.
Banning Public Waterpipe Use In Other Jurisdictions
Quebec, Vancouver and Ottawa have banned indoor public tobacco and non-tobacco waterpipe use.
Alberta鈥檚 Chief Medical Officer of Health has recommended that waterpipe use should be prohibited in enclosed public places and workplaces, and within five metres of entrances, windows and air intakes in public venues and workplaces. AHS supports this recommendation.
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