Review Article: Prevalence and Health Effects of Water Pipe (Shisha) Tobacco Smoking"

Abstract

 Every day approximately 100 million people smoke water pipe. The trend is increasing in Arabic countries, in Europe and the USA especially in adolescents. Studies revealed that the tobacco smoke from water pipe, depending on the used tobacco and charcoal, contains higher concentrations of nicotine, carbon monoxide, carboxy hemoglobin, heavy metals, carcinogens and fine dust particles compared to cigarette smoke. According to studies, water pipe tobacco smoking was significantly associated with lung cancer, chronic lung diseases, periodontal diseases and low birth-weight. Similar to cigarette smoking, water pipe tobacco smoking causes a severe health risk by environmental tobacco smoke, because the side-stream smoke of the water pipe contains higher concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aldehydes and carbon monoxide compared to the side-stream smoke of cigarettes