Dear Editor,

Hookah cafés and lounges may be one of the hottest college fads to pop up in New Orleans, but smoking hookah tobacco pipes has many health consequences.

Hookah smokers are subject to the same negative health effects as cigarette smokers: lung cancer, heart and respiratory disease and other deadly illnesses.

Hookah smoking among young adults promotes lifelong nicotine addiction and disease, consequences that last far beyond the New Orleans college experience.

Hookah smoke can contain four times more nicotine than cigarettes and five times the number of cancer causing agents.

On average, 45 – 60 minutes of hookah smoking is the equivalent of chain smoking 15 cigarettes. Hookah tobacco also contains 36 times more tar, 15 times more carbon monoxide and 70 percent more nicotine than cigarette tobacco.

Passing off hookah smoking as a positive college past time is irresponsible and deadly. Tobacco use kills more people in Louisiana each year than AIDS, alcohol, motor vehicle accidents, murders, illegal drugs and suicide combined.

The fact of the matter is that tobacco is dangerous to your health no matter how it’s smoked, hookahs included. So don’t believe the hype if someone tells you it is cool or safe to smoke hookah pipes.

Sincerely,
Alicia Bourque
Director of Counseling and Health Service