The Benefits of Quitting Shisha Smoking
Smoking shisha (also known as hookah, goza, narghile, hubble bubble or hubbly bubbly) is dangerous; it can kill you and that is the truth; not immediately, no, but in time – yes. It may sound harmless and even taste fruity and herbal but there is nothing benevolent about this habit. According to The World Health Organization (WHO), a typical hour session of shisha smoking involves inhaling 100 to 200 times more smoke than when smoking a single cigarette.
Some of the benefits of quitting shisha can be experienced immediately. Here are a few of the rewards you can look forward to once you quit smoking shisha.
Live Longer
Every cell in your body becomes compromised when you smoke and all the health risks associated with smoking cigarettes are relevant here too. In addition, because a pipe is often shared, this leaves one open to possibly contracting diseases like Tuberculosis and Hepatitus. By quitting, you prolong your life and give yourself every chance to enjoy greater health.
An epidemiological study of doctors compared 34 000 smokers with a similar group of non-smokers. The results showed that the smoker’s lifespan is reduced by an average of 6.5 years. Although that study was for cigarette smoking, it very well could be more for shisha smoking
Increase your Quality of Life
Shisha smoking involves taking in huge quantities of carbon monoxide. In fact, Paul Hooper, from The Warwickshire Primary Care Trust confirms that smoking shisha is similar to breathing in carbon monoxide fumes directly from a motor vehicle’s exhaust. This is because of the burning of the coal involved with smoking shisa. However, once you stop, the carbon monoxide level in your body will return to normal within a day on average. Within a few months, your vascular system and circulation will improve and your lung function will improve.
Reduce Health Risks and Diseases
Smoking pollutes every single cell in your body but stopping soon reverses most of the damage, so it is never too late to stop. You will improve your ability to taste foods and drinks…and your ability to smell various aromas will become elevated too.
Smoking opens one up to many diseases as mentioned earlier: it is also a notorious carcinogen. After ten years of quitting smoking your risk of developing lung cancer will be 50% less that of a smoker. One year later, your risk of a heart attack will have decreased by 50%. Five to ten years later, your risk of stroke will have decreased to that of a smoker.
Improve your Finances
A great benefit or reward of quitting a bad habit is often an almost immediate improvement in your finances. The money you would have used in smoking shisha and the socializing connected with it, you can put towards some other form of reward for yourself. Perhaps pay off a credit card or buy that item/service you have been eyeing for so long. The opportunities are endless.
Decrease your Carbon Footprint
Quitting shisha is not only good for you and your loved ones, but also for the environment. Due to the high percentage of carbon monoxide released when smoking shisha in particular, you will be limiting environmental pollution. You will be offsetting your carbon footprint in a significant way and greening your environment indirectly.
In conclusion, smoking shisha is not a healthier form of smoking. In fact, it is proving to be an even more harmful form of smoking. Quitting will help you save your life, the life of others and the environment: in this case quitting is definitely winning.
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