What is Hookah?
Hookah – also called narghile, shisha, goza, and hubbly-bubbly – is a water pipe used to smoke
specially made tobacco by indirectly heating the tobacco, usually with burning embers or charcoal. The
waterpipe generally consists of four main parts:
Hookah smoking is a relatively new activity in the United States and is a popular social activity among
teens and young adults who generally sit together and share a pipe. Hookah smoke can be served in a
variety of flavors like strawberry, mint, and chocolate. The device has been used for centuries in the
Middle East and Asia to smoke tobacco. Now, hookah bars and cafes are popping up across the United
States – fueled by the growing popularity of hookah smoking among teens and young adults.
What Parents Can Do:
Talk to your teen about the risks of hookah smoking. There is a misperception among youth that hookah
smoking is somehow safer than smoking a cigarette because the smoke is filtered through water. This is
not true. Waterpipe smoking carries the same serious health effects as smoking cigarettes. In addition to
causing lung cancer, there is an increased incidence of cancers of the lower lip, esophagus, and
stomach from waterpipe use. Another potential problem is that commonly used heat sources that are
applied to burn the tobacco, such as wood cinders or charcoal, are likely to increase the health risks
from waterpipe use because when burned on their own these heat sources release high levels of
potentially dangerous chemicals, including carbon monoxide and heavy metals. There is also the risk of
spreading infectious diseases, like tuberculosis, and viruses such as hepatitis and herpes by sharing
the tube.
Talk to your teen about the myths of hookah smoking.
Know if your teen's friends use hookah. Talk about ways to refuse it.
Look out for hookah (waterpipes) and supplies associated with it. The waterpipe and tobacco
can be bought in specialized shops and online, so some youth are buying their own hookah pipes. Some
also smoke marijuana using the hookah pipe.
Talk to other parents. Talk to the parents of your teen's friends. Make sure they are aware of this
trend and its dangers.
Advocate changing current smoke free air laws by contacting your local representative or
senator. In Rhode Island and Massachusetts there are exemptions to restaurant and bar smoking laws.
Smoking under the current law is allowed in smoking bars primarily devoted to selling tobacco products
for consumption on the premises. Ensure new smoke free air laws include hookahs and the places
hookahs are smoked, and remove loopholes from existing laws that make hookahs popular and
accessible.
Tobacco producers who need a continuing source of new tobacco users are targeting young
people. Hookah bars are showing up in college neighborhoods where older teens and college age
youth can frequent them. Hookah cafes are marketed to young people and hookah is being promoted
on websites and computer chat boards. Even though tobacco products may not be sold to persons
under age 18, hookah smoking is available to younger teens.
References:
American Lung Association, Tobacco Policy Alert, An Emerging Deadly Trend: Waterpipe Tobacco Use,
February 2007 (Adobe pdf)
Hookah – also called narghile, shisha, goza, and hubbly-bubbly – is a water pipe used to smoke
specially made tobacco by indirectly heating the tobacco, usually with burning embers or charcoal. The
waterpipe generally consists of four main parts:
- The bowl where the tobacco is heated;
- The base filled with water or other liquids;
- The pipe, which connects the bowl to the base; and
Hookah smoking is a relatively new activity in the United States and is a popular social activity among
teens and young adults who generally sit together and share a pipe. Hookah smoke can be served in a
variety of flavors like strawberry, mint, and chocolate. The device has been used for centuries in the
Middle East and Asia to smoke tobacco. Now, hookah bars and cafes are popping up across the United
States – fueled by the growing popularity of hookah smoking among teens and young adults.
What Parents Can Do:
Talk to your teen about the risks of hookah smoking. There is a misperception among youth that hookah
smoking is somehow safer than smoking a cigarette because the smoke is filtered through water. This is
not true. Waterpipe smoking carries the same serious health effects as smoking cigarettes. In addition to
causing lung cancer, there is an increased incidence of cancers of the lower lip, esophagus, and
stomach from waterpipe use. Another potential problem is that commonly used heat sources that are
applied to burn the tobacco, such as wood cinders or charcoal, are likely to increase the health risks
from waterpipe use because when burned on their own these heat sources release high levels of
potentially dangerous chemicals, including carbon monoxide and heavy metals. There is also the risk of
spreading infectious diseases, like tuberculosis, and viruses such as hepatitis and herpes by sharing
the tube.
Talk to your teen about the myths of hookah smoking.
- It is not safer than smoking cigarettes. Hookah smokers are exposed to cancer-causing
chemicals and hazardous gases such as carbon monoxide. Hookah is linked to lung, oral and
bladder cancer, as well as clogged arteries and heart disease. - Hookah is addictive. People ingest higher nicotine levels than with cigarettes, which could
increase the risk of addiction since nicotine is the drug that causes addiction. - The water pipe does not filter out the "bad stuff". The water-filtration and extended hose
does not filter out the nicotine, tar, cancer-causing chemicals and dangerous heavy metals. - Smokers who share a water pipe are at risk for infectious diseases, such as
tuberculosis, and viruses such as hepatitis and herpes. Shared mouthpieces may enhance
the opportunity for such diseases to spread.
Know if your teen's friends use hookah. Talk about ways to refuse it.
Look out for hookah (waterpipes) and supplies associated with it. The waterpipe and tobacco
can be bought in specialized shops and online, so some youth are buying their own hookah pipes. Some
also smoke marijuana using the hookah pipe.
Talk to other parents. Talk to the parents of your teen's friends. Make sure they are aware of this
trend and its dangers.
Advocate changing current smoke free air laws by contacting your local representative or
senator. In Rhode Island and Massachusetts there are exemptions to restaurant and bar smoking laws.
Smoking under the current law is allowed in smoking bars primarily devoted to selling tobacco products
for consumption on the premises. Ensure new smoke free air laws include hookahs and the places
hookahs are smoked, and remove loopholes from existing laws that make hookahs popular and
accessible.
Tobacco producers who need a continuing source of new tobacco users are targeting young
people. Hookah bars are showing up in college neighborhoods where older teens and college age
youth can frequent them. Hookah cafes are marketed to young people and hookah is being promoted
on websites and computer chat boards. Even though tobacco products may not be sold to persons
under age 18, hookah smoking is available to younger teens.
References:
American Lung Association, Tobacco Policy Alert, An Emerging Deadly Trend: Waterpipe Tobacco Use,
February 2007 (Adobe pdf)
Tobacco and Parenting:
525 W Southern Ave. Suite #110 Mesa, AZ 85210 | ph: 480.733.5864 | fax: 480.733.1844 | ACASinc@msn.com
| Our Purpose Is To Save Lives |
How to Talk to Teens About Dangerous Hookah (Water Pipe) Smoking
Third-hand Smoke: Another Reason To Quit Smoking
ScienceDaily (Dec. 31, 2008) — Need another
reason to add "Quit Smoking" to your New
Year's resolutions list? How about the fact that
even if you choose to smoke outside of your
home or only smoke in your home when your
children are not there – thinking that you're
keeping them away from second-hand smoke –
you're still exposing them to toxins? In the
January issue of Pediatrics, researchers at
MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC)
and colleagues across the country describe
how tobacco smoke contamination lingers
even after a cigarette is extinguished – a
phenomenon they define as "third-hand"
smoke.
Their study is the first to examine adult
attitudes about the health risks to children of
reason to add "Quit Smoking" to your New
Year's resolutions list? How about the fact that
even if you choose to smoke outside of your
home or only smoke in your home when your
children are not there – thinking that you're
keeping them away from second-hand smoke –
you're still exposing them to toxins? In the
January issue of Pediatrics, researchers at
MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC)
and colleagues across the country describe
how tobacco smoke contamination lingers
even after a cigarette is extinguished – a
phenomenon they define as "third-hand"
smoke.
Their study is the first to examine adult
attitudes about the health risks to children of
third-hand smoke and how those beliefs may relate to rules about smoking in their homes. "When you
smoke – anyplace – toxic particulate matter from tobacco smoke gets into your hair and clothing," says
lead study author, Jonathan Winickoff, MD, MPH, assistant director of the MGHfC Center for Child and
Adolescent Health Policy. "When you come into contact with your baby, even if you're not smoking at
the time, she comes in contact with those toxins. And if you breastfeed, the toxins will transfer to your
baby in your breastmilk." Winickoff notes that nursing a baby if you're a smoker is still preferable to
bottle-feeding, however.
Particulate matter from tobacco smoke has been proven toxic. According to the National Toxicology
Program, these 250 poisonous gases, chemicals, and metals include hydrogen cyanide, carbon
monoxide, butane, ammonia, toluene (found in paint thinners), arsenic, lead, chromium (used to make
steel), cadmium (used to make batteries), and polonium-210 (highly radioactive carcinogen). Eleven of
the compounds are classified as Group 1 carcinogens, the most dangerous.
Small children are especially susceptible to third-hand smoke exposure because they can inhale near,
crawl and play on, or touch and mouth contaminated surfaces. Third-hand smoke can remain indoors
even long after the smoking has stopped. Similar to low-level lead exposure, low levels of tobacco
particulates have been associated with cognitive deficits among children, and the higher the exposure
level, the lower the reading score. These findings underscore the possibility that even extremely low
levels of these compounds may be neurotoxic and, according to the researchers, justify restricting all
smoking in indoor areas inhabited by children.
"The dangers of third-hand smoke are very real," says Winickoff, who is a professor of Pediatrics at
Harvard Medical School and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Richmond Center. "Our
goal was to find out if people who were aware of these harmful effects were less likely to smoke inside
of their home."
Winickoff's team found that this was the case. In a survey of more than 1,500 households, 95.4 percent
of nonsmokers versus 84.1 percent of smokers agreed that second-hand smoke harms the health of
children, and 65.2 percent of nonsmokers versus 43.3 percent of smokers believed that third-hand
smoke harms children. Strict rules prohibiting smoke in the home were more prevalent among
nonsmokers – 88.4 percent versus 26.7 percent – but among both smokers and non-smokers,
participants who agreed that environmental smoke was harmful to children's health were more likely to
have restrictions on smoking in their homes.
Winickoff's study shows that increasing awareness of how third-hand smoke harms the health of
children may encourage home smoking bans. It also will be important to incorporate knowledge about
third-hand smoke contamination into current tobacco control campaigns, programs, and routine clinical
practice.
smoke – anyplace – toxic particulate matter from tobacco smoke gets into your hair and clothing," says
lead study author, Jonathan Winickoff, MD, MPH, assistant director of the MGHfC Center for Child and
Adolescent Health Policy. "When you come into contact with your baby, even if you're not smoking at
the time, she comes in contact with those toxins. And if you breastfeed, the toxins will transfer to your
baby in your breastmilk." Winickoff notes that nursing a baby if you're a smoker is still preferable to
bottle-feeding, however.
Particulate matter from tobacco smoke has been proven toxic. According to the National Toxicology
Program, these 250 poisonous gases, chemicals, and metals include hydrogen cyanide, carbon
monoxide, butane, ammonia, toluene (found in paint thinners), arsenic, lead, chromium (used to make
steel), cadmium (used to make batteries), and polonium-210 (highly radioactive carcinogen). Eleven of
the compounds are classified as Group 1 carcinogens, the most dangerous.
Small children are especially susceptible to third-hand smoke exposure because they can inhale near,
crawl and play on, or touch and mouth contaminated surfaces. Third-hand smoke can remain indoors
even long after the smoking has stopped. Similar to low-level lead exposure, low levels of tobacco
particulates have been associated with cognitive deficits among children, and the higher the exposure
level, the lower the reading score. These findings underscore the possibility that even extremely low
levels of these compounds may be neurotoxic and, according to the researchers, justify restricting all
smoking in indoor areas inhabited by children.
"The dangers of third-hand smoke are very real," says Winickoff, who is a professor of Pediatrics at
Harvard Medical School and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Richmond Center. "Our
goal was to find out if people who were aware of these harmful effects were less likely to smoke inside
of their home."
Winickoff's team found that this was the case. In a survey of more than 1,500 households, 95.4 percent
of nonsmokers versus 84.1 percent of smokers agreed that second-hand smoke harms the health of
children, and 65.2 percent of nonsmokers versus 43.3 percent of smokers believed that third-hand
smoke harms children. Strict rules prohibiting smoke in the home were more prevalent among
nonsmokers – 88.4 percent versus 26.7 percent – but among both smokers and non-smokers,
participants who agreed that environmental smoke was harmful to children's health were more likely to
have restrictions on smoking in their homes.
Winickoff's study shows that increasing awareness of how third-hand smoke harms the health of
children may encourage home smoking bans. It also will be important to incorporate knowledge about
third-hand smoke contamination into current tobacco control campaigns, programs, and routine clinical
practice.
Co-authors of the Pediatrics article are Joan Friebely, EdD, and Cheryl Sherrod, MGHfC Center for Child and Adolescent Health
Policy; Susanne Tanski, MD, Dartmouth Medical School; Georg Matt, PhD, and Melbourne Hovel, PhD, MPH, San Diego State
University; and Robert McMillen, PhD, Mississippi State University. Support for the study includes grants from the Flight Attendant
Medical Research Institute and the National Cancer Institute.
Policy; Susanne Tanski, MD, Dartmouth Medical School; Georg Matt, PhD, and Melbourne Hovel, PhD, MPH, San Diego State
University; and Robert McMillen, PhD, Mississippi State University. Support for the study includes grants from the Flight Attendant
Medical Research Institute and the National Cancer Institute.
Ontario Law Banning Smoking In Cars With Children Takes Effect Wednesday
| THE CANADIAN PRESSURL: http://www.canadaeast.com/rss/article/486066 |
TORONTO - It will be illegal in Ontario to smoke in a vehicle with a child present starting on Weedless
place.
The new law is aimed at protecting children under age 16 from the effects of second-hand smoke, which
studies show can become highly concentrated inside cars and trucks.
The Ontario Medical Association said doctors have been calling for a ban on smoking in cars with
children since 2004, noting the closer people are to second-hand smoke, the more toxins they breathe
in.
"First-hand smoke and second-hand smoke we understand is dangerous, and third-hand we're now
learning about as well," said OMA president Dr. Ken Arnold.
"Certainly putting people with young, healthy lungs in a tin box and having someone light up just seems
so unfair to those children."
Health Canada says merely opening a window won't clear the smoke from a car, and smoking while kids
aren't in the vehicle isn't acceptable either.
"Extensive studies have shown there is no level of ventilation that will eliminate the harmful effects of
second-hand smoke, and opening a window can result in air flow back into the car, which may cause the
smoke to be blown directly back at non-smokers," Health Canada says.
Researchers found second-hand smoke can remain in contaminated dust and on surfaces, even if the
smoking took place days or even months earlier, and Arnold agrees that opening a car window won't
help clear the air.
"The ventilation systems in our automobiles just aren't up to that," he said.
"The smoke still swirls around in there, and the concentrations are 25 times higher than they would be in
the open air."
Ontario drivers who refuse to butt out while transporting their kids or other young people could face
fines of up to $250.
Premier Dalton McGuinty had initially opposed such a ban, saying it was a slippery slope that infringed
too much on people's rights, but he changed his mind last spring after a government backbencher
introduced a private member's bill in the legislature.
British Columbia has passed a ban on smoking in cars when children under 16 are present, but it is not
yet in force.
New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are considering similar bans, with the P.E.I. legislature
expected to take action this spring.
The U.S. states of Maine, California, Arkansas and Louisiana have passed similar laws, as has Puerto
Rico.
Smoking is already outlawed in Ontario workplaces and in public areas such as bars and restaurants.
The OMA said the new ban will act as an important tool for educating the public about the dangers of
second-hand smoke.
"I would imagine there would be very few charges laid under this," Arnold said.
"I think it's a matter of talking about it and educating people about the risks and encouraging people to
quit (smoking) altogether."
Arnold said people do quit smoking in response to government restrictions, and he expects that trend to
continue following a promised public awareness campaign about the ban on smoking in cars with kids.
"More people have chosen to quit smoking since they've no longer been able to smoke at work," he said.
"This just keeps that (idea of quitting) in the forefront of people's attention."
The New Democrats say the law should prohibit smoking in cars with people up until they reach the age
of 19, when they are legally able to purchase cigarettes, while the Progressive Conservatives have said
the new ban would be hard to enforce.
However, Ontario Provincial Police have said the ban won't be difficult to enforce because they already
inspect vehicles for seatbelts and child car seats.
The Wednesday of National Non-Smoking Week is dubbed Weedless Wednesday and has been since
government anti-smoking initiatives started in 1977.
place.
The new law is aimed at protecting children under age 16 from the effects of second-hand smoke, which
studies show can become highly concentrated inside cars and trucks.
The Ontario Medical Association said doctors have been calling for a ban on smoking in cars with
children since 2004, noting the closer people are to second-hand smoke, the more toxins they breathe
in.
"First-hand smoke and second-hand smoke we understand is dangerous, and third-hand we're now
learning about as well," said OMA president Dr. Ken Arnold.
"Certainly putting people with young, healthy lungs in a tin box and having someone light up just seems
so unfair to those children."
Health Canada says merely opening a window won't clear the smoke from a car, and smoking while kids
aren't in the vehicle isn't acceptable either.
"Extensive studies have shown there is no level of ventilation that will eliminate the harmful effects of
second-hand smoke, and opening a window can result in air flow back into the car, which may cause the
smoke to be blown directly back at non-smokers," Health Canada says.
Researchers found second-hand smoke can remain in contaminated dust and on surfaces, even if the
smoking took place days or even months earlier, and Arnold agrees that opening a car window won't
help clear the air.
"The ventilation systems in our automobiles just aren't up to that," he said.
"The smoke still swirls around in there, and the concentrations are 25 times higher than they would be in
the open air."
Ontario drivers who refuse to butt out while transporting their kids or other young people could face
fines of up to $250.
Premier Dalton McGuinty had initially opposed such a ban, saying it was a slippery slope that infringed
too much on people's rights, but he changed his mind last spring after a government backbencher
introduced a private member's bill in the legislature.
British Columbia has passed a ban on smoking in cars when children under 16 are present, but it is not
yet in force.
New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are considering similar bans, with the P.E.I. legislature
expected to take action this spring.
The U.S. states of Maine, California, Arkansas and Louisiana have passed similar laws, as has Puerto
Rico.
Smoking is already outlawed in Ontario workplaces and in public areas such as bars and restaurants.
The OMA said the new ban will act as an important tool for educating the public about the dangers of
second-hand smoke.
"I would imagine there would be very few charges laid under this," Arnold said.
"I think it's a matter of talking about it and educating people about the risks and encouraging people to
quit (smoking) altogether."
Arnold said people do quit smoking in response to government restrictions, and he expects that trend to
continue following a promised public awareness campaign about the ban on smoking in cars with kids.
"More people have chosen to quit smoking since they've no longer been able to smoke at work," he said.
"This just keeps that (idea of quitting) in the forefront of people's attention."
The New Democrats say the law should prohibit smoking in cars with people up until they reach the age
of 19, when they are legally able to purchase cigarettes, while the Progressive Conservatives have said
the new ban would be hard to enforce.
However, Ontario Provincial Police have said the ban won't be difficult to enforce because they already
inspect vehicles for seatbelts and child car seats.
The Wednesday of National Non-Smoking Week is dubbed Weedless Wednesday and has been since
government anti-smoking initiatives started in 1977.
| For technical issues or errors: webmasterACAS@live.com | Rick Johnson |
Please make your tax deductible donation to: Arizonans Concerned About Smoking, Inc.
Note: All contributions to the work of ACAS, Inc. are fully tax deductible as ACAS, Inc. is a 501C3 Corporation
Please copy, paste and print the following:
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is my tax deductible contribution to ACAS of: [ ]$25 [ ]$50 [ ]$100 [ ]$500 [ ]$1,000 [ ]Other $________________ Name _______________________________________________________________ Address_____________________________________________________________ City ______________________________ State ______ Zip ___________________ Make checks payable to: Arizonans Concerned About Smoking 525 W. Southern, Suite 110, Mesa, AZ, 85210 (480) 733-5864 E-mail: acasinc@msn.com www.acasinc.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
ACAS / Arizona News
Donors (Arizona Community
Foundation)
Health Links
Health Pioneer Biographies
Mark Your Calendar
Officers
Smoke-Free AZ History
Smoke-Free Casinos
Smoke-Free Fraternal and
Service Clubs
Smoke-Free Housing
Smoking Cessation
Tobacco and Parenting
Tobacco-Free Teens
USA / World News
Contact Us
Donors (Arizona Community
Foundation)
Health Links
Health Pioneer Biographies
Mark Your Calendar
Officers
Smoke-Free AZ History
Smoke-Free Casinos
Smoke-Free Fraternal and
Service Clubs
Smoke-Free Housing
Smoking Cessation
Tobacco and Parenting
Tobacco-Free Teens
USA / World News
Contact Us
| Painting by ACAS Advisory Board member Albert Ortiz |