7/22/13 - With Brighton Township officials working to incorporate hookah lounges into its zoning ordinance, local anti-drug advocates are warning about the dangers of the practice. Hookah is a large variety of pipe that burns tobacco over charcoal. The smoke is then sucked through a reservoir of water, cooling it before it is inhaled by the user. The World Health Organization reports that many people believe hookah smoking to be safer than other kinds of tobacco use, but that this is not the case. The organization reports that a single session with a hookah can see users inhale the equivalent of 100-200 cigarettesâ worth of smoke. Livingston County Community Alliance Coordinator Kaitlin Fink tells WHMI that hookah smoke could actually be more harmful than traditional cigarette smoke, with carbon monoxide levels 2.5 times higher than in cigarette smoke. Carbon monoxide is linked to decreased lung function as well as oral, lung, and stomach cancer. The WHO also warns that sharing mouthpieces among multiple users can increase the risk of certain diseases, such as tuberculosis and hepatitis. (TD)
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