Sound Off: Teen Hookah Smoking

As more teens get the message of the dangers of cigarette smoking, they're turning to what they think is a safer alternative - the hookah.

The hookah, or shisha, pipe is a glass vessel for smoking tobacco that is filtered by passing through water.

Personally, I think this growing trend is a half-step down from smoking cigarettes, and therefore kids - or anyone else for that matter - should not participate.

Recently, a hookah café opened near my house in Edmonton, and it’s not the only one in the city - several more have opened downtown. A recent CBC article talks about the surging popularity of teens smoking hookah in Calgary. So obviously, this new-found popularity is not an isolated case in just Edmonton. The growing popularity of these places is truly sickening to me. I know a few young people who smoke hookah and one of them has said to me, "It's fun, besides, a few herbs aren't going to do us any harm."

But isn't tobacco an herb? Aren't most medications and drugs made from just a few “herbs?" And even if the herbs themselves aren't harmful, do you really want anything in your lungs that isn't supposed to be there? Think of drowning; water is not harmful. Actually, we need it to survive. But once it is in your lungs, it is completely lethal.

According to the CBC article, Jennifer O'Loughlin, a professor of medicine at the University of Montreal, says that studies have shown that hookah smoke actually does contain harmful constituents like nicotine, carbon monoxide, heavy metals like lead, and other possible carcinogens.

The question is: why not make it illegal for teens to use even these water-based hookah pipes? Well, I guess there is the argument that maybe it’s better for teens to sit around at a hookah pipe and smoke socially than to sit around with a bottle of liquor or hardcore drugs. But although they say you are just smoking "risk-free" herbs mixed with molasses, does anyone else other than me think that eventually those teens will want to try something a bit stronger, and dare I say, "cooler?"

And finally, I suppose it comes down to money. Businesses aim to make money, and with this surge in popularity of hookah smoking among teens, I’m sure hookah café owners are rubbing their hands together with glee. So when it comes down to adults making money versus a teen’s health, it’s obvious which one is going to win out.

So in the end, it’s up to us teens to do something about the current situation. Just ask yourself: is it worth it? Is a fad really worth your health? Besides, maybe minors don't realize it, but they look rather silly smoking hookah, at least in my opinion.