Smoking is bad for your health – this is a warning that you might see wherever you see cigarettes or read about them. You’ll hear about the damage it causes to your lungs, like the fact that it causes emphysema (a disease of the lungs causing shortness of breath) or lung cancer. You might even hear about the damage it does to your teeth, nails and skin (did you know that smoking might even make acne worse?!). But those are all the warnings you might get about ‘regular cigarettes’ – what about the new, ‘trendier’ ways of smoking, like Hubbly Bubbly (aka. Hookah smoking) or E-cigarette smoking (aka Vaping). These types of smoking might look a little cooler and a little less harmful, but there are actually dangers behind smoking both of these as well. Here are the effects of each choma.

Hubbly Bubbly

Hubbly Bubbly, or hookah smoking, has become very popular. You might have seen people (or maybe even been a part of the group of people) smoking these hubby bubbly at a party or in someone’s house. Even those who prefer not to smoke at all might choose to smoke hubbly because it ‘seems’ like it’s much less harmful than the effects of smoking cigarettes and it ‘looks cool’. That couldn’t be further from the truth choma. In fact, here are 3 major myths about hubbly:

Myth 1: Hubbly is less harmful than smoking cigarettes

You’re actually at risk of the same effects and diseases as smoking cigarettes, including cancer, heart disease and respiratory disease. You might think that the water filters the smoke in some way, but it doesn’t chomas. In fact, most people inhale more smoke when smoking a hubbly than they would smoking regular cigarettes. And because you’re more likely to smoke hubbly in a social setting, you’re more likely to smoke it for a longer period of time.

Myth 2: Hubbly is not addictive

Shisha or sheesha tobacco (the mix used in hubbly) is still tobacco choma! It contains all the cancer-causing chemicals found in cigarettes; including nicotine (which is addictive), tar and other harmful chemicals. So just like with any other tobacco product, smoking hubbly often is likely to lead to addiction.

Myth 3: Smoke from Hubbly has fewer toxins

The charcoal burned, often produces its own toxins that include high levels of carbon monoxide (a toxic gas). This toxic gas may cause heart and lung disease. You might think that because the smoke is being filtered by water that all the harmful toxins are being filtered out, but the water does not filter out the cancer-causing chemicals. There are many cancer-causing chemicals associated with smoking hubbly. Many of the chemicals released when smoking hubbly also affect those who are nearby, even if they are not smoking. Since it’s a combination of tobacco and charcoal, it is actually a double dose of toxins.

To find out more about the dangers of smoking hookah, read this article here choma.

E-Cigarettes/ Vaping

 E-cigarettes are often considered to be less harmful than both normal cigarettes and hubbly. People who are trying to quit cigarettes are often badly advised to try e-cigarettes because they’re seen as pure and safe. But in reality, there is more harm to smoking cigarettes than you might realise. Here are some myths about e-cigarettes:

Myth 1: Vapour from e-cigarettes is pure

E-cigarettes may not contain all of the harmful chemicals that are produced when you smoke a cigarette, but they do contain many. Importantly, e-cigarettes still contains nicotine, which is the chemical associated with the most severe effects of smoking. Some studies have also shown that e-cigarettes release other harmful chemicals while you smoke them, not found in cigarettes.

Myth 2: E-cigarettes are safe

You are inhaling toxic chemicals when you smoke an e-cigarette.  The concentrated cartridges are released under pressure to allow them to be “smoked” and there are reported cases of the devices exploding and causing serious injury. Liquid nicotine is also highly poisonous if it comes into direct contact with your body, swallowing it by accident is often fatal. There have been cases where people have accidentally swallowed the liquid nicotine.  Overfilling the cartridge, not holding an e-cigarette properly or inhaling too hard are all things that can cause the e-liquid to leak, leading to you accidentally getting e-liquid in your mouth.

Myth 3: They don’t produce second-hand smoke

Actually, they do choma. As a bystander, you can still be exposed to nicotine and other toxins. Although the exposure from e-cigarette vapour is less than regular cigarettes, it is still harmful choma. This particular myth is a huge problem because those who smoke it often do so in places where smoking cigarettes is prohibited.

To find out more about the dangers of smoking e-cigarettes, read this article here choma.

So, choma, the short answer to what’s better among cigarettes, e-cigarettes and hubbly is all of them are damaging to your health. Neither e-cigarettes nor hubbly are really a good alternative to regular cigarettes. The best thing to do is to not smoke at all.

If you are a smoker try quitting altogether. Remember, always put your health before any trend.

For tips on how to quit smoking cigarettes read this article choma.