Myth: Hookah smoke is better for you than cigarette smoke and not addictive.

Reality: Hookah smoke of various fruity flavors, taste, and aromas can be even more harmful than disease-causing cigarette tobacco smoke. Hookah smoke contains four times more nicotine (an addictive drug) than cigarette smoke. People can become addicted to nicotine after using any form of tobacco just a few times, including hookah.

Myth: Smoking hookah is less harmful than cigarettes because the smoke passes through water, which filters out the chemicals and other bad stuff.

Reality: When hookah bubbles through water at the base of a hookah pipe it cools the smoke, but does not filter any chemicals out of the smoke. This "cooling" process forces a hookah smoker to inhale twice as deeply as a cigarette smoker, which causes chemicals, cancer causing agents, and other harmful elements to penetrate deeper into the lungs. The charcoal that is used in hookah pipes adds even more carbon monoxide to the high levels that already exist in this type of tobacco.

Myth: Smoking hookah is fun, relaxing, and social. It's not like I do it every day.

Reality: Hanging out with friends and smoking hookah may seem fun. However, the reality is 45-60 minutes of hookah smoking is the same as chain smoking 15 cigarettes. So, even smoking hookah once in a while can lead to addiction. Additionally, when you share mouthpieces you add the risk of getting colds, viruses like herpes, oral bacteria infections, and tuberculosis.