About Shisha Addiction: Signs of Addiction

Shisha is a social phenomenon. It’s an exotic-looking, mysterious, ornate, sophisticated apparatus that is quite literally centre of a group of people having a good time. It comes with bright and vivid colors, a mystique pattern and gives smokers the potential to make smoke rings amongst their friends and impress them with this novel method of smoking. Shisha smoking enables groups of friends to sit and ponder deeply about issues they would otherwise not discuss, and all of these factors make shisha socially addictive. So it’s not just the nicotine that get’s you hooked on the hookah.

Some of the experts in shisha research have interviewed people who smoke shisha regularly. They found out 28% wanted to quit smoking shisha, but well over half of them had tried to quit but failed to do so.

A few years later, more research was completed and it showed that some shisha smokers started to have cravings similar to those seen in cigarette smokers. Remember that shisha smoking is frighteningly different to cigarettes, because if you’re getting addicted to shisha you simply take in deeper breaths and more puffs to get your body’s desired levels of nicotine (called “titration”). This makes the smoker unaware of how much nicotine they actually need to satisfy their body’s demands, and it’s hard to measure. However, with cigarettes it is a lot more straightforward – if you need more nicotine, you smoke more cigarettes – so it’s easier to measure how addicted someone is to cigarettes compared to shisha.

Signs of Addiction

Whether you’re addicted to alcohol, cigarettes, shisha, Facebook or computer games, the signs of addiction are generally the same. If you find any of the following habits, then think twice about how addicted you may be:

·         You spend too much time and money on shisha compared to occasional shisha smokers

·         You go out of your way to smoke shisha, especially at unordinary times, such as in the morning

·         You get annoyed if people criticise your shisha smoking habits

·         You lie to people about your shisha smoking habits

·         You smoke shisha on your own

·         You find it hard to quit smoking shisha even though you’ve tried several times

·         Shisha smoking has impacted on your daily routine i.e. you don’t get enough sleep because you smoke shisha late that also makes you late for college or work.

Which is Worse, Shisha or Cigarette?

According to the French anti-tobacco agency (OFT), a report from the French national laboratory revealed that smoking shisha gives off as much carbon monoxide as 15 to 52 cigarettes and as much tar as 27 to 102 cigarettes. Bertrand Dautzenberg, OFT President said, "The report confirms that smoking shisha is a major source of air pollution in closed and covered areas. If comparing the data to regular cigarette smoke, one shisha corresponds to1 an average of around 70 drags on a cigarette."

The tests were conducted by Laboratoire National d'Essais (LNE) on three types of shisha: shisha with self-lighting carbon used in small amounts, self-lighting carbon used in large amounts, and natural carbon shisha used in small volumes. The laboratory used the three parameters that are measured when analyzing smoke on a packet of cigarettes: the amount of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide.

For 70 liters (16 gallons) of smoke produced by the shisha, the small amount self lighting carbon tar results were measured at 319 milligrams, 32 times the legal European limit for a cigarette, while the large amount self-lighting carbon measured at 266 milligrams, 27 times the cigarette limit, and the natural carbon measured at 1,023 milligrams, a 102 times more than a cigarette.

Carbon monoxide measurements fared badly as well, as tests indicated that the carbon measurements from the three types of shisha came to 17 times the normal cigarette limit, 15 times, and 52 times the limit. The self-lighting carbon in both large and small amounts for nicotine measured about one cigarette per shisha, while the natural carbon was the nicotine equivalent of smoking six cigarettes. 

Hookah-Hookah Shisha Flavors

Hookah-Hookah Shisha Tobacco is produced from a selected blend of flue cured Virginia tobacco. it is the mildest and sweetest of all blending tobaccos resulting in an exceptionally light smoke with a delightful flavor to smokers. Here you can find a list of Hookah-Hookah Premium Shisha flavors:

   

1.       Hookah-Hookah 7-Spice

2.       Hookah-Hookah Supreme Acai

3.       Hookah-Hookah Roasted Almond  

4.       Hookah-Hookah Caramel Banana Foster

5.       Hookah-Hookah Sweet Summer Blackberry

6.       Hookah-Hookah Blueberry Freeze

7.       Hookah-Hookah Butterscotch Satin

8.       Hookah-Hookah Soothing Chai  

9.       Hookah-Hookah Bubbly Champagne

10.   Hookah-Hookah Bursting Cherry

11.   Hookah-Hookah Chocolate Temptation

12.   Hookah-Hookah Cinnful Cinnamon

13.   Hookah-Hookah Exotic Clove

14.   Hookah-Hookah Refreshing Cola

15.   Hookah-Hookah Cranberry Crush  

16.   Hookah-Hookah Delicious Double Apple

17.   Hookah-Hookah Wild Dragon Fruit

18.   Hookah-Hookah Fruit Punch Blast

19.   Hookah-Hookah Buttery Graham Crackers  

20.   Hookah-Hookah Succulent Grape

21.   Hookah-Hookah Tangy Sweet Grapefruit

22.   Hookah-Hookah Crisp Green Apple

23.   Hookah-Hookah Guava Nectar

24.   Hookah-Hookah Hazelnut Heaven

25.   Hookah-Hookah Velvet Irish Cream  

26.   Hookah-Hookah Divine Key Lime Pie

27.   Hookah-Hookah Kiwi Infusion

28.   Hookah-Hookah Ice-Cold Lemonade

29.   Hookah-Hookah Sparkling Gingerale

30.   Hookah-Hookah Mouthwatering Mango

31.   Hookah-Hookah Margarita On The Rocks

32.   Hookah-Hookah Plump Melon

33.   Hookah-Hookah Mocha-Latte Fudge  

34.   Hookah-Hookah Orange Tang

35.   Hookah-Hookah Passion Fruit Pleasure

36.   Hookah-Hookah Raging Peach

37.   Hookah-Hookah Peanut Butter Perfection  

38.   Hookah-Hookah Frozen Pina Colada

39.   Hookah-Hookah Island Pineapple

40.   Hookah-Hookah Pomegranate Passion  

41.   Hookah-Hookah Gourmet Pumpkin Pie  

42.   Hookah-Hookah Ravishing Raspberry  

43.   Hookah-Hookah Robust Root Beer

44.   Hookah-Hookah Pure Mint

45.   Hookah-Hookah Persian Rose  

46.   Hookah-Hookah Simply Spearmint

47.   Hookah-Hookah Spiced Rum

48.   Hookah-Hookah Strawberry Dreams

49.   Hookah-Hookah Tropical Punch

50.   Hookah-Hookah Madagascar Black Vanilla

51.   Hookah-Hookah  Watermelon Burst

52.   Hookah-Hookah Great White Grape  

53.   Hookah-Hookah Fire-Cured Seven Spice

54.   Hookah-Hookah Fire-Cured Double Apple  

55.   Hookah-Hookah Fire-Cured Grape

56.   Hookah-Hookah Fire-Cured Mint

57.   Hookah-Hookah Fire-Cured Strawberry

Popular Shisha Brands

Different stroke for different folks! Remember that when people make suggestions for shisha brands/flavours. It is because there can be some flavors that people swear by that you try and hate!

So, better to make your own choice. Here you can find some quality brands of Shisha:

·         Al Fakher Shisha

·         Fantasia Shisha

·         Hookafina Shisha

·         Fumari Shisha

·         Ayam Zaman Traditional Moassel

·         Evolution Herbal Tea-sha

·         HookaH-HookaH Premium Shisha

·         Hookah Freak Blended Shisha

·         Nakhla Shisha

·         Starbuzz Shisha

Blowing Big Shisha Rings

Everyone has that friend that can blow massive hookah smoke rings and makes it look easy, and I know some of you have tried with unimpressive results. In this post I hope to give you a quick science lesson and provide proper hookah smoke ring instructions so you can puff like the pros!

1.       Inhale the shisha smoke as you would normally do.

2.       Let the hookah smoke come out of your mouth without you blowing it out. So basically just open your mouth and let the smoke come out. Hopefully the smoke that comes out of your mouth is thick as then blowing shisha rings is the best.

3.       Believe it or not I have seen some people struggle with this bit, because they are used to blowing the smoke out.

4.       Next blowing the actual shisha rings I believe can be done in two ways. The first would be by forming an O with your mouth and while the smoke is coming out, almost like coughing – meaning that you let small bursts of air come out of your mouth.

5.       The second method is the more experienced and defunct one. This entails you forming and O with your mouth and using your jaw to sort of pop the shisha rings out of your mouth. This is hard to explain but almost the same as keeping your mouth in a ring shape, whilst the smoke is coming out of it, and closing your mouth almost half way pushing the rings out.

I hope this guide is of some use. Just remember practice makes perfect – you’ll get it right eventually or maybe sooner than you think!

Facts about Hookah You Must Know

·         A false belief among smokers is that shisha , also called hookah, is less dangerous than that of cigarettes. This is wrong! However since people think this is true, it gives a false sense of security and reduces concerns about true health hazards. Doctors at institutions including the Mayo Clinic have stated that “use of shisha is equally detrimental to a person’s health as smoking cigarettes,” and a study by the World Health Organization (WHO) also confirmed these findings.

·         Shisha smoking may lead to infertility. Yes, you read that correctly.

·         In a one-hour (1 hour) hookah session, users consume around 100 to 200 times the smoke and about 70 times the nicotine as they do in one cigarette.

·         Water pipe smokers are seven times (7 times) more likely than non-smokers to show signs of gum disease and mouth cancer.

·         There are over 250 different kinds of shisha flavors, and that number continues to rise.

·         Each hookah session (commonly referred to as “a sesh”) consists of 50 to 200 inhalations that each range from 0.15 to 0.50 liters of smoke.

·         Shisha smokers may become infected with herpes.

·         Chilling with friends and smoking shisha may seem fun and put you in the “cool group.” However, the reality is 30 minutes of smoking shisha is the same as chain-smoking half a pack of cigarettes.

·         Hookah contains 69 different carcinogens.

·         Hookah use may cause impotence. If you don’t know what this means, then here’s your definition: “Impotence is a common problem among men characterized by the consistent inability to sustain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse or the inability to achieve ejaculation, or both.” – medicinenet.

6 Ways to Quit Shisha Smoking

When you start to quit smoking Shisha for good, you need to know the ways to help you stay smoke free. Sometimes, people may claim that quitting smoking is really not a big deal. They say it when they have stopped smoking for a short while, maybe even just a day. But after several months, or even a day or two, they resume their previous smoking habits. You can prevent that from happening by being informed on how to deal with the struggle of quitting.

To increase your chances of success in becoming Shisha-free, you need to be motivated, have social support, an understanding of what to expect, and a personal quit plan. It is important to learn how to replace your smoking habits, manage your cravings, and join the millions of people who have kicked the habit of smoking Shisha for good. The best way to do so is to implement these 6 rules:

1.       Remember the benefits of quitting Shisha – Review your reasons for quitting and think of all the benefits for your health, your finances, and most importantly your family. The longer time you quit, the longer you will benefit from not smoking. Even not smoking for 20 minutes will cause your blood pressure to return to normal. Your system will cleanse the carbon monoxide eight hours later. Lung capacity increases by 30 percent. Your risk of getting a heart attack reduces by 50 percent and your life expectancy will increase dramatically.

2.       Recognize the temptation – Remind yourself that there is no such thing as just one smoke or even one puff. Even many years after quitting, you must recognize that you will still be tempted to smoke again because you know how great it was to smoke Shisha. The nicotine may be long gone from your body and you may not have a physical addiction to Shisha anymore, but the psychological addiction may remain for many years to come. Therefore, be ready when the temptation comes your way. Knowledge on how to handle this situation increases your chances to stay Shisha-free.

3.       Replace smoking habit with a healthier one – Ride out the desire to smoke Shisha by trying a new habit. If you are worried about weight gain, put some energy into planning a healthy diet and finding ways to exercise and stay active. The desire to smoke just one Shisha session will go away. Since the behavioral habit was once there, you may feel the need to smoke Shisha in certain circumstances. You must recognize this and start taking proper actions to combat this trick of the mind. Be on guard and lead your brain.

4.       Know the cause of relapse – Learning what circumstances drag you to smoke Shisha can assist you in your long-term quest to combat nicotine. For example, if you smoke Shisha due to excessive stress, find an alternative to release your stress. It may be in the form of exercise, meditation, or hobbies. Always find out what causes you to smoke and find an alternative for it. This way you will know what to do the next time it arises.

5.       Get support from family and friends – Resort to the support from family and friends. If you have to, talk to somebody about your journey to quit smoking. If you have failed many times, tell them you are determined to quit smoking Shisha once and for all. Seek guidance from experts or get professional help such as counseling, if you need to.

6.       Think positive – Be positive during this time of your life. Along the journey, you may relapse and pick up smoking again, but do not let this discourage you. There are many people who have only successfully given up the habit after 4 or 5 times of trying to quit. Do not think you have failed; instead think that you need to be stronger next time.

Shisha and Sex

Renowned sex therapist warns against shisha smoking

Dr. Rosie King, a prominent author and sex therapist, dubbed smoking as a sexual suicide, and named shisha smoking as the root cause of impotency in men in the Middle East, a newspaper reported on Thursday.

Dr. King told the UAE-based Emirates Business that if a man in his 40s and is a heavy smoker; his chances of suffering erectile dysfunction are 25 percent higher.

"Smoking contributes to the narrowing of the arteries in the penis, thus leading to a limited blood flow to the male organ, hence making it difficult for the man to show his pleasure towards his partner."

Say No To Shisha

This grim reality calls for immediate action not only on the part of government and policy makers but also on health care providers in creating awareness against the lethal hazards associated with Shisha smoking. The following recommendations are proposed and efforts at all level are required to implement them. Some of these are also suggested actions by the WHO Study Group on Tob.

1.       Shisha should be subjected to the same regulations as cigarettes and other tobacco products.

2.       Shisha should contain health warnings.

3.       The restaurants should inform their clients of the actual contents of Shisha.

4.       Media should be involved in creating awareness against the hazards of Shisha smoking.

5.       Awareness sessions against the hazards of Shisha smoking and other substance abusers should be made a regular feature in all educational institutions.

6.       Surveys should be conducted to assess the extent of the problem and its prevalence in our society.

7.       Longitudinal studies should be conducted to assess the health implications of Shisha smoking.

1.       Shisha smoking though a part of our cultural heritage is damaging the youth of our country. It is imperative to prevent our younger generation from indulging in a habit which will have detrimental effects not only on their health but also on the health of the country.acco Product Regulation

8.       Parents must check their children about their various activities in society.

9.       As youth is that strength which can bring change in our society so we should aware our youth and ask them to stand among those who protest against it not among those who demand for it.

10.   Many world wild organizations are working for the betterment of youth having one of their issues related to shisha.

Conclusion

Whoever is thinking that they are safe with hookahs as opposed to cigarettes is only fooling them. It is especially sad to see this trend catching on fire in the Muslim world.

 Let’s do whatever it takes to halt this phenomenon, especially in preventing our youths from indulging in this harmful habit. Spread the word!

Why Shisha Is Getting Popularity Among Youth?

  This is so because they adopted it as a fashion trend and it is fashion world wild.

2.       They feel trendy while sitting in shisha bars with friends enjoying the smoke, meal and Friends Company.

3.       They thought that when the smoke is carried through water bath, it becomes less harmful and fruity flavors bring them a taste.

4.       Another factor adding to its popularity is its social acceptability as compared to cigarettes and it portrayal is a symbol of modernization of our cultural heritage.

Some Famous Shisha Cafes In Pakistan

•                    Zouk

•                    Sheikhuz

•                    World fashion

•                    Jemin java

•                    Rockton

•                    Forest

•                    Abadan lounge

•                    Evolution

•                    Latte lounge

•                    Roadside café

•                    Studio cafe

•                    Rooftop bistro

•                    Al-nakhal

•                    Test mart

•                    Gun smoke

Psychological Hazards of Shisha Smoking

Youth used to be addicted to it in order to get relief from day to day issues related to them and the societal behavior towards them.

It effects their psychological, mental and physiological growth as well.

They become addicted to it. The large proportion among youth is the one who are neglected by their own families so they have no moral growth or moral values which teach them say no to these evils.

Sitting together with friends and having shisha is their most favorite activities. They do so in order to overcome their aggression, depression, inferiority complex and their socio-psyco problems.

Social Hazards of Shisha

Personal effects of smoking shisha may also be linked to a number of other unique and strange risks that are not associated completely with cigarette smoking. 

 Social personal effects of smoking shisha maybe linked to lung cancers with severe oral cancers, and a number of heart diseases and other strange serious illnesses in human beings who smoke them.

Such people are looked down upon by the society and are not readily accepted by the society as well.

People thing that such youth adopt the bad company and may victimize to other societal evils by the time.

This could also include factors such as peer pressure which means if an Individual belongs to a friends group where they aspire to be like their peers, and if your peer smokes shisha even if u don't want to try it or have tried it you force yourself and have it.

Health Hazards of Shisha

In compare with other narcotics like cigarettes, shisha is considered to be more injurious to health. It's found that smoking a shisha levels a four to five times higher than a cigarette. And 1 shisha is equivalent to almost 200 cigarettes.

These adverse health effects include increased risk of lung, oral and bladder cancer and heart disease. While studies of mainstream smoke from hookahs found that it contains similar amounts of nicotine, tar and heavy metals as other Tobacco products, some experts believe that hookah smoking increases exposure to toxic substances over other products. This is due in part to the way hookah smoking occurs in contrast to cigarette smoking. Hookah smokers use a water pipe over a much longer period of time, often 40-45 minutes, rather than the 5-10 minutes it takes to smoke cigarette.

 Another problem with hookah smoking is the commonly used heat sources that are applied to burn the tobacco, such as wood cinders or charcoal. These substances, when burned, release high  levels of potentially dangerous chemicals including carbon monoxide and metals. Some research  suggests that hookah smoke is therefore more  dangerous, as it contains smoke from the tobacco itself as well as smoke from the heat source used to burn the tobacco.

Shisha is 100 times worse than cigarettes:

 “An advisory note from the WHO says that smoking a hookah may expose the                                  smoker to more smoke over a longer period of time than occurs when smoking cigarettes.”

“Because smoking a hookah may take up to 80 minutes, the report suggests that the smoker is subjecting himself to as much smoke as somebody dragging on 100 cigarettes.”