By Oldham Community Health Services

The Hookah also known as Shisha has been used to smoke tobacco for about 400 years. It has various other names, one being a water pipe.

It exists in a variety of sizes, shapes and designs. The tobacco used can have one of many different flavours. It is burned using glowing charcoal. The smoke produced is passed though water before being inhaled using a mouthpiece attached to a flexible tube.

Many users believe that smoking tobacco in this way is less harmful than using cigarettes.

This isn’t true.

Using a Hookah/Shisha often happens in a group. Everyone shares the same mouthpiece. This can lead to the spread of diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), herpes, hepatitis and other viruses.