Trend Products Underestimated health hazards from water pipes and e-cigarettes

Harmful trend products in young people: shishas and e-cigarettes

Although teenage cigarette smoking is declining, many young people are increasingly interested in other tobacco and nicotine products. The hookahs also called "hookah" are "in". And e-cigarettes have already tried many young people. Experts explain about these harmful trend products.

More and more young people are interested in shishas

Although the proportion of young people who smoke cigarettes has been falling for years, teenagers are now frequently interested in other tobacco and nicotine products. More and more of them are smoking shisha. As reported by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), almost one-third of the 12- to 17-year-olds have ever tried a hookah before, and in 2016, even more teenagers smoked waterpipes than cigarettes. In order to draw attention to the mostly underestimated health risk, especially with hookahs, the DKFZ publishes three information leaflets on hookahs, e-cigarettes and tobacco heaters.

Although fewer and fewer young people use conventional cigarettes, hookahs and e-cigarettes are "in" with teenagers. Experts explain about the harmful trend products. (Image: Roman Ribaliov / fotolia.com)

Heavy diseases by hookah smoking

In particular, the intensive flavoring of shisha tobacco makes the products attractive and may contribute to underestimate the health hazards.

"Many believe that hookahs are less harmful and have less potential for dependency than cigarettes," says Ute Mons from the DKFZ.

"In fact, hookah smoking causes several serious diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease and severe chronic respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and can make you addicted," said the expert.

"In addition, it pollutes the room air with harmful pollutants and thus not only represents a health hazard for the smoker himself, but also for non-smokers present in the room."

In addition to long-term health damage, water pipes also pose acute health hazards. Thus, carbon monoxide poisoning from hookah smoking is an increasing problem.

No harmless lifestyle products

Even e-cigarettes are the trend among young people.

According to the DKFZ, the latest data show that 16.4 percent of 14- to 17-year-olds have tried e-cigarettes before, and 2.8 percent use them regularly.

Although electric vaporizers are likely to be significantly less harmful than tobacco cigarettes, they are addictive and diseased and are by no means harmless lifestyle products.

For about a year, a tobacco heater is available in this country, in which - unlike in e-cigarettes - no liquid, but tobacco is heated and the resulting aerosol is inhaled.

While using this product, fewer pollutants than smoking, but also Tabakerhitzer are according to the DKFZ health concern. (Ad)