Pipe dreams: With more hookah bars popping up, experts warn about the potential dangers of tobacco..

December 28, 2007 - Pipe dreams: With more hookah bars popping up, experts warn about the potential dangers of tobacco.. Many hookah (Sheesha or Shisha, Narghile, Waterpipe) fans contend that drawing smoke through water removes some of the harmful chemicals. Scientists, however, say that although the hookah might filter out some irritants, the smoke nevertheless contains high levels of nicotine, carbon monoxide and other toxic chemicals. The potential risks, of hookah smoking has taken on added relevance as hookah bars have begun to sprout up across the U.S. in recent years. There are more than 400 hookah cafes, according to an online database of hookah bars. There is a growing popularity of hookah bars, especially among 18- to 24-year-olds. Dr. David Burns, professor emeritus of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, "and there is evidence that it contains many of the toxic constituents of tobacco. And you may get them in higher doses than you would from smoking cigarettes because of the very large volume of smoke that you ingest." Hookah sessions typically last 20 to 80 minutes, and the mildness of the smoke allows for deeper inhalations. A WHO advisory issued in 2005 reports that during one 40- to 45-minute hookah session, a smoker could, in theory, inhale the equivalent of 100 cigarettes. See related news briefs: directly below and Hookah (Shisha or Sheesha, Narghile) is Worse than Smoking Cigarettes. Click on image to enlarge - the work of Tenniel, Sir John (b. Feb. 28, 1820, London, Eng.--d. Feb. 25, 1914, London)..