Smoking Hookah Dangerous in Lebanon

What is known here in Lebanon as the Narjileh, also known as Hubble bubble, shisha, or Al Fakher tobacco hookah, has become an everyday way of leisure.

When you go to restaurants close by the Beirut sea shore, almost every table has two or more hookas being smoked.

The irony of the situation is that many smokers believe that smoking a narjileh is much lighter and therefore less harmful than the hazards of cigarette smoking:

It wouldn't take you long to find a Hubble bubble store, where you can buy pipes, tobacco, hoses, coal containers, and tongs. The latest trend is home delivery.
Even people under the age of 18 seem to be victims of the social pressure to smoke a hookah as a relaxing pastime with friends.

Experts warn that smoking a tobacco water pipe for one hour is as harmful as smoking up to 200 cigarettes.

Health observers and even social experts fear that this could be a dangerous social phenomenon that should be addressed.

Dr. Baydoun is one of the most renowned Cardiologists in Beirut and he tells us that those who smoke the tobacco pipe are subject to a high level of carbon monoxide, something similar to inhaling car exhaust.

While the Hookah is considered as part of the ancient culture in this part of the world, the fact that it has become increasingly widespread has worried health experts who warn of a future generation hooked on the hookah.