An association says that water pipes are more dangerous than smoking cigarettes
Jump to full article: Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 2006-08-17
Author: Helen Altonn
Intro: The American Lung Association of Hawaii cautioned college students today against a growing campus fad of smoking with water pipes, called hookahs.
Association President Sterling Yee said in a news release that water pipe smoking potentially is more dangerous than cigarette smoking because users are exposed to larger amounts of nicotine, carbon monoxide and other toxins.
However, a couple who operates the only licensed hookah service in Hawaii says using a water pipe is not smoking, which they oppose, but is "vaporizing."
"When you light up a cigar or cigarette or any type of tobacco or nontobacco, you're causing combustion to occur," said Renee Hollison Betamour. No combustion is involved with smoking a hookah, she said. "It's closer to aromatic therapy."
Several sessions were devoted to hookah smoking at a recent World Tobacco Conference in Washington, D.C., said Bert Kobayashi, who attended with Debbie Odo as Hawaii Lung Association representatives. . . .
But Renee and Mohammad Betamour say water pipe smokers are only inhaling steam. "It's closer to cooking than smoking," Renee said.
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