One hour of smoking hookah is equal to smoking 100 cigarettes, said the doctor

Shocking WHO data: one hookah session is equivalent to a hundred cigarettes. Experts sound the alarm due to the depth of smoke inhalation and the duration of exposure to toxic substances in smokers' bodies.

As reported by TUT.AZ, a well-known Russian psychiatrist and narcologist Ruslan Isaev revealed the frightening truth about the popular hobby to "Gazeta.Ru".

"At first glance, hookah may seem like a relatively harmless alternative to cigarettes: flavored tobacco, smoke passing through water, a long and "relaxing" smoking ritual. However, scientific data suggests exactly the opposite. WHO provides detailed information about the harm of hookah smoking and its comparability to cigarette smoking. WHO indicates that a typical hookah smoking session lasts about an hour and is accompanied by approximately 200 puffs, while when smoking one cigarette, a person takes an average of 20 puffs. The volume of smoke inhaled during such a hookah session can be equivalent to smoking 100 or more cigarettes," the doctor explained.

According to Isaev, hookah smoke contains a whole cocktail of dangerous substances identical to cigarettes: nicotine, carbon monoxide, heavy metals, and carcinogens. The specialist emphasizes that the widespread myth about filtration through water does not stand up to scientific criticism – studies prove that water does not eliminate toxins, but only creates a deceptive sense of security, provoking smokers to take even deeper puffs.

"Tobacco in cigarettes burns at a temperature of about 900°C. This high-temperature combustion leads to the formation of many toxic substances, including carcinogens. In a hookah, tobacco undergoes smoldering at a lower temperature (about 450-600°C), heated by coal. Despite the lower temperature, this does not make the process safe. Hookah smoke contains the same toxic substances as cigarette smoke, including nicotine, carbon monoxide, heavy metals, carcinogens, and combustion products. As for addiction, there is also no reason to consider hookah safer. After just a few episodes of regular use, both psychological and physiological dependence can form," Isaev warned.