Is a water pipe / hookah more or less healthy than a regular smoke?

[uss]

Is inhaling tobacco from a water pipe more or less healthy than inhaling tobacco from a regular cigarette?

In fact, I've heard two theories - one is that the water in a water pipe filters the bad effects of the nicotine and therefore makes it far less unhealthy and the other is that the water actually concentrates the nicotine and makes it stronger.

[ 10-23-2005, 12:19 PM: Message edited by: uss ]

[Sir Degrader]

You mean a bong? Makes no difference from what I've heard.

[RoSs_bg2_rox]

But who the hell uses a bong for normal smoke!? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]

[ 10-23-2005, 10:19 AM: Message edited by: RoSs_bg2_rox ]

[Arvon]

From what I've heard, putting burning leaves in your mouth is bad in any form.

[johnny]

Well, if you use one to get stoned, you'll get there much faster, take my word for it.

Oh...try replacing the water with scotch for a change, it will add an extra dimension to it. [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

[shamrock_uk]

The water does indeed filter I believe, but for the healthiest results you want something like a vaporiser.

[Sir Degrader]

Quote from the article:
states that the concentration of cancer-causing and addictive substances in water-pipes may be equal to those found in cigarettes, with the heat involved being sufficient to generate carcinogenic nitrosamines, and the smoldering charcoal adding some carcinogenic hydrocarbons as well as heavy metals to the smoke. Ironically, use of the hookah may increase the smoker's toxic exposure, in that studies have shown that the typical hookah smoker spends more time per episode of smoking than do other smokers

[Chewbacca]

The chief benefit of smoking through water is to cool the smoke and make it less harsh on the back of the throat and esophagus. This of course leads to bigger hits being held-in longer which seems like it would be more risky eh?

[Timber Loftis]

Originally posted by johnny: Well, if you use one to get stoned, you'll get there much faster, take my word for it. Oh...try replacing the water with scotch for a change, it will add an extra dimension to it. [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

I assume this makes it a no-brainer for us to assume that *someone* will be drinking the bongwater?

Using a hookah can be worse, depending on practice. The Turkish tradition is to put burning coals on top of the tobacco in a hooka -- so, you would inhale pure coal fumes as well as tobacco. Ick.

Here's the thing you're missing, perhaps. If you smoke tobacco through a pipe or cigar, you usually don't inhale the smoke. You just taste and exhale -- the nicotine gets into your system through your blood stream via the mouth. Now, are you using a water pipe instead of a pipe because you're inhaling from the pipe? If you are inhaling from the pipe, there are filter pipes that are available, or you could use a water pipe, weird as that may be.

If you're asking about Roman Red, a/k/a Wacky Weedus, you should just say so. In that regard, bongs will let you take HUGE hits. Gets you high fast, but can hurt like hell. So, you may only take one hit, but you'll get the damage of many. The only guy I ever saw cough up blood from long term pot smoking smoked from a bong all the time.

Either way you slice it, looks like a health concern is something you're going to fail to address, so just do what you like.

[ 10-23-2005, 06:38 PM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]

[Timber Loftis]

Originally posted by Arvon: From what I've heard, putting burning leaves in your mouth is bad in any form.

I often ponder on the lunacy of the first human who decided to inhale burning leaves. And we are the only animal so crazy that we don't run from a fire. These are weird behaviors, but obviously the ability to ignore common "horse sense" has served us well. Without having tamed and mastered fire, how could we possibly have achieved our current success at living comfortably while burning the earth to cinders?

As well, our lunacy is not only evident in the anti-smoking brigade who constantly try to force the will of the 50.1% majority down our throats in every bar. It's enough to make you want to blow smoke in their face before kicking them in the crotch. But, I digress.

Tea. I wanted to talk about tea. How many anti-smoking "advocates" (a/k/a Nazi, SS, etc.), I wonder, drink tea. Is straining water through various leaves, roots, and bits of dirt before drinking it any less looney that inhaling burning leaves? You may think not, but history has no footnote to tell us the sad tale of the guy who tried to make his tea with nightshade.