Breath Carbon Monoxide Measurement Predicts Oxidative Stress Which Cause of Deteriorations of Lung Functions in Waterpipe Smokers

Waterpipe or hookah uses a different kind of tobacco, which is available in most Balkan countries, Middle East and South Asia. Popularity of smoking waterpipe among European, Canadian, and American young people has shown a dramatic rise over the past decade. The growing popularity of waterpipe use among U.S. teens and adults is evidenced by media reports and the recent rapid proliferation of waterpipe establishments (bars, cafes, or restaurants) in large cities and near college campuses. Typical waterpipes have the following components; a bowl where the tobacco is placed and heated, usually with burning embers or charcoal, a vase or smoke chamber which is partially filled with water, a pipe or stem connecting the bowl to the vase by a tube that carries the smoke down into the water, and a hose with a mouthpiece through which the smoke is drawn from the vase. As the smoker inhales, the tobacco smoke is sucked down from the bowl and then bubbles up through the water into the air of the smoke chamber and then through the hose to the smoker. At the end of a smoking session, the dirty water is thrown away and the waterpipe vase is refilled for the next user. Although each smoking session generally lasts about 45 to 60 minutes, it can also continue for several hours.

There is a misconception about smoking waterpipe that it is less harmful than cigarettes, and that's why smoking waterpipe is dramatically increasing especially among young people. While the adverse effects of smoking cigarette are widely described, there are just a few investigations about waterpipe and its effects. This study was designed to investigate the effects of smoking waterpipe on pulmonary functions and oxidative stress parameters.