Whether you call it hookah or sheesha or something else, I’m not a great fan of the local pastime of smoking flavored tobacco out of a water pipe. I grew up with parents who smoked, and to this day, the smell of stale tobacco is one of the few things that automatically turns my stomach.I appreciate the social context of smoking sheesha. My kids enjoy it with their friends, and even my crowd will occasionally break out the cappuccino or cherry or watermelon tobacco and head to the back yard.
There’s always been a lot of controversy surrounding the health risks associated with sheesha. It is, after all tobacco. But now a new risk has been added to the list – the risk of contracting the H1N1 virus.
Yep, seems the social aspect of sheesha provides a double-whammy when it comes to Swine Flu. Not only are the lungs of smokers compromised and therefore more susceptible to the virus, but the practice of passing the pipe means that one infected person can quickly spread the virus to others.
According to Dr. Husam Rezea of the Communicable Disease Control Section in Qatar, Sheesha outlets can help the spread of swine flu or any other communicable disease since many smokers would be sharing the same pipe. The danger is more in the case of swine flu because it is transmitted mainly through breath. The crowding in sheesha outlets also poses a threat as far as the disease is concerned.”
Turns out the risk isn’t just because folks use the same mouthpiece, but because the water itself can become infected with the virus.
Who knew!?
I guess that’s one more reason to just say no to this quintessential Arabian experience!
How concerned are you about catching the H1N1 Virus? Are you changing your life, your habits? What are you willing to do to remain virus-free and what are you unwilling to do?
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2 comments:
Wow that's scary!!
Good thing I don't do sheesha because I'm not cool enough (I'm SO uncool I even don't have a problem saying that. :P)
BTW, you look good in that picture.. ;-)
A recent survey asked 100 people why they started smoking they said:
a) to look cool
b) they like yellow teeth and bad breath
c) SSSshhhhh my dad is standing over there!!!
A lot of people think that sheesha doesnt contain tobacco. In fact it does and is a common misconception.
Of course I look good. Those glassed shade where I am looking at, if you know what i mean. Thats how cool I am. In the words of the immortal fonzy...."Hayyyy".
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