❋ Detoxcellence

Hookah / Shisha Smoke

Water-pipe tobacco smoked over a long session.

37High burden · out of 100
Cleaner swapAvoiding it — the water does not make it safe

How this score is built

  1. 100Start
  2. 63.2Chemical hazard 8 × 4.6−36.8
  3. 49.6Everyday exposure 4 × 3.4−13.6
  4. 37Persistence 5 × 2.6−13, then rounded to 37
  5. HighThe band37 sits in 20–39.

What each input rests on

The three ratings behind the score, and the studies each rests on
InputRatingEvidence
Chemical hazard8/10unsourced input
Everyday exposure4/10

  • In a crossover study of 31 smokers, one waterpipe session of up to 45 minutes raised exhaled carbon monoxide by 23.9 ppm against 2.7 ppm for one cigarette, with about 48.6 L of smoke puffed against 1.0 L; peak nicotine was similar.

    Waterpipe tobacco and cigarette smoking: direct comparison of toxicant exposure · Am J Prev Med 2009

    DOI 10.1016/j.amepre.2009.07.014 · PMID 19944918 · Abstract, Results · read 2026-10-21

Persistence5/10unsourced input

Ratings are editorial. A study listed here supports the rating; it did not compute it. How the index is built

What this means for you

The chemical-hazard rating is what drives the score down. A hookah session can deliver more smoke, carbon monoxide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons than a single cigarette. The water pipe cools the smoke but does not filter out the toxicants.

Evidence strength: strong

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Lower-exposure choices

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Regular Sauna UseMinimal · Environment
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