Smokers use a waterpipe to enjoy hookah tobacco, also known as shisha, as charcoal heats the tobacco mixture. When you smoke hookah, you inhale a blend of nicotine, tar, and various flavors.
What is Hookah Tobacco?
The tobacco used in a hookah, often referred to as shisha, tombak, narghilea, or maassel, is typically mixed with glycerin, sweeteners, and flavorings. Manufacturers can make these flavorings from either flue-cured or air-cured tobacco leaves. Glycerin plays a crucial role in creating thick clouds of smoke during a session and enhances the flavor of the tobacco.
Shisha often includes fruit-based flavorings, but manufacturers commonly use food-grade extracts to add variety to the smoking experience.
Different Types of Hookah Tobacco
Hookah tobacco comes in various types, each providing a distinct smoking experience. Virginia tobacco, also known as blonde leaf, is one of the most popular options. It starts as a bright yellow leaf and turns a deep orange during drying. Virginia tobacco suits beginners well due to its mild flavor and low nicotine content.
Another favored type of hookah tobacco is dark leaf tobacco. Dark leaf contains higher nicotine levels and delivers a more intense flavor. It requires more coal to heat and takes longer to warm up. When using dark leaf tobacco, avoid sharing a mouthpiece to reduce the risk of infections and diseases like pneumonia.
Smoking hookah exposes your body to nicotine and harmful chemicals from the charcoal used to heat the tobacco. This smoke can lower the oxygen levels in your bloodstream, potentially leading to serious health issues, such as an increased risk of heart attack and lung disease.
The Flavors of Hookah Tobacco
Hookah tobacco, or shisha, is blended with vegetable-flavored syrups to create a wide variety of flavors. The glycerine in the syrup evaporates during smoking, producing smoke that carries the blended flavors, ensuring a smooth and consistent taste throughout the session. Unlike traditional cigarettes, which contain hundreds of chemicals, hookah tobacco has fewer ingredients, making it less harmful, though still dangerous.
During a hookah session, smokers use a hose to inhale smoke from the mouthpiece, often sharing the hookah with others in a group setting. However, sharing can spread infections, especially if the mouthpiece isn’t cleaned regularly. Additionally, hookah smoke contains carbon monoxide, which can reduce the oxygen levels reaching your lungs.
In just a 60-minute hookah session, you may inhale 100-200 times the amount of smoke as someone who smokes a single cigarette. Hookah smoke also contains four times the nicotine and 69 carcinogenic compounds found in cigarettes. These chemicals can cause serious health problems, including addiction and lung damage.
