The happy hookah: water pipes and carbon monoxide toxicity

[23536]

Smoking tobacco using a narghile (AKA water pipe, hookah, shish, goza, hubble bubble, argeela) is a practice becoming increasing popular among around the world. Although commonly — and erroneously — thought to be safer than smoking cigarettes, use of a water pipe often results in increased exposure to toxins, including carbon monoxide (CO). There are several reasons for this:

• The user gets exposed to carbon monoxide both from the tobacco and the charcoal used to heat it.
• The smoke is cooled and humidified by passing through water, allowing larger amounts to be inhaled over a longer period of time.
• Despite wide belief to the contrary, the water does not filter out many toxins from the smoke.

This case report describes a 16-year-old acutely confused woman who passed out after smoking from a narghile for 3 hours outdoors on a beach. Her carboxyhemoglobin level in the hospital was 24%. Her mental status improved after treatment with normobaric oxygen. Because of the history of syncope, she was also treated with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO).

http://www.thepoisonreview.com/2012/04/06/the-happy-hookah-water-pipes-and-carbon-monoxide-toxicity/

 

[23536]

I guess the same holds true for weed and bongs? (although no charcoal is used in bongs)

I didn't know it was a myth that the water filters some toxins. It must filter something because it gets all mungy after a few uses.

 

[boardsofcanada]

First of all, does anyone really call it hubble bubble?

Anyway, obviously no smoke is good for you. But would you actually be burning the tobacco? There is aluminum foil in between the coal and the shisha so wouldn't it just be like vaporizing it? If that's right, then there wouldn't any carbon monoxide from the shisha, just from the coal.

 

[LogicSoDeveloped]

I don't smoke hookah that often anymore. It "felt" better than smoking cigarettes but I never really thought if that meant anything. People definitely say that it is healthier than any other form of tobacco but this raises interesting questions about it.

 

[Doctor_Ew420]

I smoked a lot of shisha a few years ago. I very much enjoyed it but knew I didn't want to be breathing the by-products of the coal. I am sure that bong water filters something, that is obvious but, it may just be a portion of the tar/chlorophyl and other benign plant materials.