HEALTH

THE VOLUNTARY JUMP INTO DEATH

14 April 2022
Godfred Meba
56 Comments
        

Read Time: 3 minutes

By: SAMIRA MOHAMMED IBN MORO

7/04/2022

As the wind blows away every second, the average youth statistically thinks of vast activities he or she would love to have a feel of. However, it is heartbreaking that most of them exuberantly engage in activities they do not have an iota of knowledge about. As said by Plato (a Greek Philosopher) “Human behavior flows from three main sources; desire, emotion, and knowledge.” However, it is perceptible that on average, the 21st Century youth behavior is based on their desire and emotions only; marginalizing knowledge- is the illumination switch.

Could it be that we as youth are becoming lazy to seek enlightenment on things we desire, aspire to be, inherited, and even things we have little or no knowledge about? Must we always be like chaff that is controlled by the wind? Should we always follow the “trend” due to inertia? No matter the case, I disagree that the lack of knowledge on our part should encourage deadly things like smoking Hookah.

The Hookah popularly known as “shisha” amongst most Ghanaian youth originated from the ancient Empires of Persia. It consists of the bowl, hose windscreen, purge valve, plate, water base, charcoal, grommets, diffuser then the flavor (Mu’assel). This Mu’assel is syrupy tobacco mixed with molasses and vegetable glycerol (moisturizer) and specific flavors added to it. When the hookah is heated and inhaled, it brings out the scent of flavors, like mint, strawberry, apple, etc. which dominates the scent of tobacco undercover. This deceit of nice flavors is what leads most people to smoke as many times as they desire.

According to the standards of The Environmental Protection Agency, the air in Hookah also contains a significant amount of toxic chemicals like aromatic hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, nicotine, and trace metals. The concentration in the air of all these toxic substances is greater than for cigarettes. During a typical one-hour Hookah session, a user expels into the air 2-10 times the amount of cancer-causing chemicals and other harmful chemicals compared to a cigarette smoker.

On countless occasions, it is argued among Ghanaian youth that cigarette is of greater harm than shisha. Lack of knowledge indeed compels people to voluntarily jump into death. Hookah smokers inhale nicotine (an addictive chemical). Moreover, a typical Hookah smoking session delivers about 1.7 times more nicotine dose compared to a cigarette. Aside from that, the nicotine absorption rate in daily Hookah smoking is equivalent to smoking 10 sticks of cigarettes per day. Many Hookah smokers especially frequent users have urges to smoke and show withdrawal symptoms after not smoking for some time. In fact! It can be so difficult to quit. These addictions and dependence are similar to the signs of cigarette addictions. Nonetheless, Hookah smokers just like cigarette smokers in their quest to stop smoking; will inevitably need a quit-smoking program and therapy.

Hookah causes many hazards to its smokers exposing the smoker’s respiratory system and the human system in general to toxic chemicals like nitrosamines, polycyclic, aromatic, hydrocarbons volatile aldehydes, benzene citric acid, carbon monoxide among others. All these toxic chemicals come from the burning of charcoal, tobacco, and flavorings. Hookah smokers inhale many of the chemicals that can cause cancer, heart diseases, lung diseases, wheezing, nasal congestion, and a lot more.

In addition, Hookah smoking increases the amount of carbon monoxide, in a person’s body to eight times their normal body level.  Because of inhaling these chemicals, Hookah smokers are at increased risk of the same health problems as cigarette smokers. Lung cancer, esophageal cancer, and gastric cancer are the common types of cancer Hooker smokers are likely to suffer from. However, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, coronary artery diseases, periodontal diseases, obstetrical and perinatal problems, larynx, voice changes, and osteoporosis are also caused by smoking Hookah.

Smoking Hookah can damage the cardiovascular system in several ways. It evaluates heart rates and blood pressure. It also impairs bar reflex control (which helps to control blood pressure) and cardiac autonomic functioning (which has many purposes including control of heart rate) Hookah’s use also acutely harms vascular functions and reduces the smoker’s ability to exercise.

Nonetheless, when people share the Hookah hose, which they usually do at parties and on other occasions, there is a risk of spreading infections such as oral herpes, tuberculosis, hepatitis, influenza, and Ho Pylon. Though using disposable mouthpieces may reduce this risk, undoubtedly it cannot eliminate it.

Medical institutions, government agencies, and the media must mount a strong campaign against the use of shisha in the country among the youth.


        

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