What is hookah? This century-old Eastern smoking practice has in recent years reverted to a more “acceptable” name and is now known as a hubbly bubbly.

Unfortunately, the name change does not mask the still toxic cocktail of compounds found in this pipe.

“Hookah smoking” or hubbly bubbly is smoking that involves a water pipe which typically consists of a head that is connected to a glass water jar.

The jar has an attached hose and mouthpiece. People usually use tobacco and a wet fruit preparation which they place below burning charcoal in the head of the apparatus. The wet fruit preparation gives the tobacco flavour.

Young people often use alcohol and dagga instead of the hookah tobacco flavours that are suggested. This poses huge health risks.

According to Dr Matome Moloto of Lydenburg Hospital, the compounds found in hookah include nicotine, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, arsenic and lead.

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Hookah smoke contains high levels of these compounds and also includes tar, heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens). Moloto said these smokers are exposed to more carbon monoxide and smoke than cigarette smokers.

“Tobacco water pipes used for at least an hour are as harmful as smoking up to 200 cigarettes in that time frame. They are extremely dangerous to human health and have become the next target in the battle against respiratory diseases,” he said.

“There is a misconception that smoking hookah is not as harmful as smoking cigarettes. It is almost always used to smoke tobacco and this explains why it carries many and even more of the dangers similar to cigarette smoking. The water does not filter out any of the toxins in the hubbly bubbly.” Moloto added.

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