Smoking Hookah Increases Risk of Cancer: Study

Marrakech- Going out for hookah is a very popular social activity all over the world, including Morocco.

There are restaurants, bars, and cafes throughout the country that offer hookah, but many people do not often think about the actual risks involved with smoking hookah.

According to a new study published by The Huffington Post, the risks are greater than previously thought.

The study, which was originally published in the Journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, is unlike other studies because it shows the effects of an actual night in a hookah lounge, rather than in a lab setting. The researchers said that the “biomarker levels reported in this study represent more realistic exposures to tobacco smoke toxicants.”

Researchers at The University of California, San Francisco, gathered 55 participants to take part in a study of urine samples after one night in a hookah bar of the their choice. The participants were asked to abstain from smoking for one week to ensure the findings were from only one night of smoking. Their urine samples were then tested after leaving the hookah bar and the morning after. The samples were found to have overwhelming increases in levels of dangerous chemicals, including nicotine, cotinine and volatile organic compounds. The levels of nicotine increased by 73% and chemicals that are known to cause cancer were increased two-fold.

The impact of the study suggests, “Given the significant intake of nicotine and carcinogens, chronic water pipe use could place users at increased risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.”