Vaping is completely banned in India from 2019. However, till date there is no national level law banning hookah. There is more scientific evidence linking hookah to lung cancer.
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Sneha Kumari: The West Bengal government on Friday cited negative impact on public health in the state capital Kolkata hookah bars banned. Kolkata Mayor and TMC leader Firhad Hakim announced the decision and urged hookah lounges to stop operations. According to Hakim, “certain intoxicants” mixed with hookahs are causing wrong addiction among the youth. ANI reported that the administration had “received complaints regarding the use of certain intoxicants, and considering their adverse health effects, the government has decided to shut down hookah bars.”
Dr Vishesh Gumdal, Consultant Medical Oncologist at the American Oncology Institute, LB Nagar, Hyderabad told News9, “Hookahs have pipes that are used to smoke a mixture containing tobacco of different flavours. Air heated by the charcoal is passed through this mixture, which passes through a container filled with water, and the hookah smoker then inhales using a pipe attached to a mouthpiece.”
Although some believe that hookah smoking is less harmful than smoking, many studies have shown that many of the chemicals found in cigarette smoke are also found in hookah smoke. Dr. Gumdal said, “More than 50 known carcinogens (substances that have the potential to cause cancer) have been identified in hookah smoke. Like smoke, hookah also contains nicotine, which can cause addiction. In short, hookah smoking is as deadly as cigarette smoking.”
Liquid used during vaping can cause many other lung diseases
Apart from hookah, other smoking techniques like vaping can also cause serious lung diseases. Dr. Gumdal elaborated, “In vaping, after heating a substance, the smoke made from it is inhaled. Typically, devices such as “vape pens” or “mods” are used to produce smoke after heating a liquid.”
He further added, “Many of these liquid mixtures contain a mixture of various flavoring substances, aromatic substances, nicotine and marijuana ingredients. This mixture is usually dissolved in an oily base. Along with its smoke, toxic and carcinogenic chemicals like Formaldehyde, Acrolein, and Diacetyl also go inside the body with breath.
However, there is currently insufficient scientific evidence linking vaping to lung cancer. One reason for this may be that even in Western countries, these habits are quite new to people and it would take a few decades of research to establish a causal link to lung cancer in vaping subjects. “Given the presence of the above toxic chemicals in the liquid mixture used for vaping, it is my opinion that over time we will have more scientific evidence linking these practices to lung cancer,” Dr. Gumdal said. He further added, “It has been proven that the oily liquid used during vaping can cause other lung diseases like Lipid pneumonia, Bronchitis obliterans (or popcorn lung) and spontaneous pneumothorax. So, to be safe it is better not to indulge in these habits.”
Mayor Hakim has asked the police to strictly enforce the ban, and also said that the state government will cancel the licenses previously issued in the city.
He said, “I request the closure of hookah bars operating inside closed spaces. I also request the police to be strict about this. We will not issue new licenses and registration certificates, and will also cancel the licenses issued earlier.”
Hookah is mainly used by the youth of the country
Vaping is completely banned in India from 2019. However, to date there is no national level law banning hookah, which is a cause for concern especially as there is more scientific evidence linking hookah to lung disorders and lung cancer. Dr. Gumdal claimed that due to the increasing western influence on our culture, the use of hookah is increasing among the younger generation. Establishments providing commercial hookah services are being seen especially around educational institutions in many metro cities.
What is particularly worrying is that hookah is mainly being used by the youth of the country. Until there is an improvement and increase in the rules banning hookah, parents and guardians have to be vigilant about their children. Schools and other educational institutions also need to be encouraged to make their students aware of the harmful effects of hookah.
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Source: www.tv9hindi.com”