Nargile has recently evolved as a social trend in the Lebanese community and in most Arab cultures. With its variety of different, aromatic flavors, Nargile is now considered a common tool for socializing in cafes, restaurants and even houses. Although many believe that Nargile carries less risk of tobacco-related disease than cigarette smoking, yet facts say that it poses a serious potential health hazard to smokers and others exposed to the emitted smoke. What intensifies its risks is the fact that it is common among youths and university students who smoke it for hours without taking into consideration the countless health risks that accompany it.
When confronted about the harms of Nargile and their being similar to those of cigarette smoking, people would argue that since smoke is passed through a small receptacle of water then it is harmless. The facts though remain shocking for even if tobacco is passed through the water, the smoke inhaled would still contain toxic compounds such as monoxide, heavy metals, and cancer-causing chemicals. In addition, since Nargile smoking is a sociable habit and two or more people can share the same mouthpiece, this could increase the risk of spreading contagious diseases among smokers.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), and based on the latest research, a Nargile smoking session usually lasts between 20 and 80 minutes. Due to this long session of inhaling, a typical one hour of Nargile smoking session involves inhaling 100-200 times the volume of smoke inhaled with a single cigarette. Therefore, smoking Nargile in one session is equal to smoking 100 cigarettes and may expose the smoker to higher amounts of the same toxic materials found in the cigarette. To access the full study, click on the link:
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/161991/1/9789241508469_eng.pdf?ua=1Lately, and as part of an initiative to raise awareness on the dangers of smoking Nargile, AUBMC started several posts about the topic on its social media platforms in addition to releasing a short video that reflected the harmful effects of such a social habit that has been affecting the lives of many individuals. The video, which carried a highly constructive message, had a great impact on the society in Lebanon, the Gulf region, and many other countries around the world and has achieved a high engagement rate. It went viral within a very short period of time and attracted many viewers who shared their views during the campaign. To view the video, click on the link:
https://youtu.be/eXUpqjxxkKkFor more about the topic: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4003490/