What is the difference between hookah and cigarettes and which is more harmful to health?

It is quite simple to understand the difference between hookah and cigarettes. Both devices use the principle of vaping - the smoker inhales not smoke, but steam. On the other hand, hookahs are smoked for much longer, so the amount of tobacco is very large. Vaping is less dangerous to health, but it also causes some damage.

Difference between vape and hookah

To understand what is more harmful - a hookah or an electronic cigarette, it is necessary to compare the principle of their operation. In both cases, mixtures containing tobacco are used. But they differ both in composition and form.

How the hookah works

In hookahs, “shisha” is used - this is a dense, almost solid substance, which is a mixture of a certain type of tobacco (or blend) in combination with other components:

• molasses or honey;
• food glycerin;
• flavoring, such as apple, coffee, cola.

In this regard, it is clear how hookahs differ from each other. The difference may be due to the strength of the tobacco as well as the flavoring. But in any case, the “shisha” is heated from coconut coal, after which the smoke enters the shaft and then into a flask with water (filter). The smoker then inhales it and the smoke enters the lungs.

Regardless of how hookahs differ, the principle of smoking is the same. It is necessary to light the coals, under the influence of which the tobacco will begin to smolder.But unlike a regular cigarette, the smoke is not inhaled directly, but after entering the water filter. And if we talk about whether a hookah is smoke or steam, the second option will be correct. Before it enters the flask with water, smoke comes out, and after that steam is formed.

How the vape works

An electronic cigarette, unlike a hookah, works somewhat differently. Here they do not use solid tobacco, but an aromatic liquid based on glycerin and propylene glycol. It is poured into a special small volume tank. A wick (special cotton wool) is inserted into it, through which the liquid reaches a heating element (coil), powered by a battery or batteries.

When the user turns on the vape, the coil heats up quite quickly and the liquid begins to steam. It is these vapors that the smoker inhales. They often contain nicotine, although sometimes they contain only a glycerin base and flavorings.

In recent years, they began to produce a similar device - an electronic hookah. The difference from the usual one is due to the fact that not coals are used for heating, but a special spiral. In addition, the same liquids are used for smoking as for vaping. And if we talk about whether an electronic hookah is harmful, we can say that due to the longer smoking cycle it is more dangerous compared to a regular vape.

What is more harmful - hookah or vape?

Some users believe that hookah is worse than cigarettes, and the safest method is vaping. There is some truth to this, but it is also true that any form of smoking is harmful to the body. To understand this, it is enough to analyze the pros and cons of each device.

Pros and cons of hookah

You can start studying cigarettes, vaping and hookah with the latter.Often smokers justify the use of hookahs because they inhale not smoke, but steam, which is supposedly less harmful. Indeed it has several advantages:

• there are no carcinogens, carbon monoxide, or tar in the smoke;
• it quickly disappears;
• does not give off an unpleasant odor.

But if we talk about the difference between a hookah and cigarettes, it should be noted that the process of smoking it is much longer and usually lasts for 30-50 minutes. This corresponds to the amount of nicotine that can be obtained from 70-100 cigarettes. It can be said about a steam hookah that this is the most harmful way to consume tobacco, despite the fact that steam is indeed less dangerous compared to smoke. In addition, there are other disadvantages:

• quickly addictive;
• harmful resins settle on the lungs faster after combining with water;
• the puffs are very deep;
• with long-term use, the same health disorders appear as from cigarettes (cough, high blood pressure, heart failure).

Pros and cons of vaping

Electronic cigarettes are indeed less harmful than regular cigarettes and than hookahs. The benefits of using them are as follows:

• no cough reflex;
• no carbon monoxide or other smoke components;
• tooth enamel remains undamaged;
• no unpleasant odor;
• the perception of tastes and smells is preserved.

There are also disadvantages:

• rapid formation of dependence;
• increased doses compared to regular cigarettes;
• release of harmful substances during the evaporation of glycerin and polypropylene glycol.

Based on this review, you can understand that hookah is much more harmful compared to vaping. Moreover, electronic cigarettes are used to quit smoking. But it is also true that any type of smoking is dangerous, so there are definitely no “harmless” cigarettes.