If you own a hookah lounge, you get asked, “Is it better than smoking cigarettes? Or vaping?”. One of the biggest issues with hookah lounge constituents is they are provided with contradicting information regarding nicotine. Some say, “hookah is a healthier option,” while others warn it is “worse than smoking cigarettes.” As the lounge proprietor, you should find the facts — not to make an unhealthy claim — but to gain insight into what your customers are interested in, in order to enhance your sales, and clientele, and to respond confidently to your most frequently asked questions.Your complete guide to hookah vs vape vs cigarettes. Learn the essentials, avoid beginner mistakes, and get expert tips for enjoying the best experience.

In this article, you will find the physical distinctions between hookah, vaping, and cigarettes in three of the most important ways; a) How does nicotine enter the body? b) What does the smoke, or vapor, or the product, consist of? c) The public perception with respect to the science. Given these distinctions, you will gain an understanding of how to operate your lounge with confidence and governance, whether you use the information to give comments to the staff, answer questions from the clientele regarding the product you sell, or how to make purchases for the hookah lounge.

1. Nicotine Flow: Three Completely Unlike Methods

Hookah, vaping, and smoking are fundamentally different in how they get nicotine into the bloodstream. Each one of these methods has its own unique flow mechanics, which ultimately means that the timing, intensity, and the quality of the “hit” are different.

Cigarettes: Quick and Clean

The combustion of cigarette tobacco happens at approximately 600-900 °C, which makes an aerosol (or smoke) that has freebases para cachimbas nicotine, which absorbs easily through the lungs, even faster. The combination of this and ammonium makes the nicotine even more readily absorbed. Because of all of this, the nicotine spike happens in the brain in 10-15 seconds. This almost instant delivery of the nicotine makes cigarettes notoriously addictive, because of the immediate reward. 1 to 2 mg of the 8-20 mg of nicotine in a cigarette is absorbed in a single smoke sesh. Also, since cigarettes take around 5 to 7 minutes to burn, smokers get an experience of a concentrated hit that is clear in its duration.

Vaping: Regulated and Unregulated

Vaping relies on battery-operated technology to turn an e-liquid of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, nicotine, and flavorings, into a vapor (aerosol). Vaping tempers the liquid to a range of 150–250°C, making a gas but not a flame. For vaping, a substance called nicotine salt is treated benzoic acid and is combined with a controlled acidity to regulate the pH. This buffering of acidity allows for the absence of a harsh hit to the throat unlike the freebase nicotine. The concentration of Nicotine salts measured in E-liquid is between 20–50 mg/mL (2%–5%) and is commonly used in pod-based systems whereas free-base Nicotine is measured between 3–12 mg/mL and is used in sub-ohm devices. The given regulations are the reason why there is a large variability in the quantity of Nicotine that is absorbed in a single session. Vaping has a relatively fast absorption rate when compared to a hookah, but has slower absorption rate than a cigarette.

Hookah: Fast, Sustained, Social

Hookah, Shisha tobacco, and Vaping all fall under the bound of Tobacco products. With the use of a charcarbones para cachimba heat source, the shisha tobacco sits above the heat source and is separated using a foil. The temperature of the shisha is in the range of 150–200°C (302–392°F). Similar to Vaping, this temperature range is what makes the glycerin and molasses of the Shisha form a vapor and a smoke that is more dense and flavorful, but unlike Vaping, this is also what allows the shisha tobacco to be enjoyable and passable though a water before inhalation.

The amount of nicotine in hookah tobacco changes depending on the type and brand of tobacco. For example, Darkside, MustHave, and Blackburn tobaccos have more nicotine and black leaf tobaccos, while Adalya and Starbuzz tobacco have less nicotine and traditional washed tobacco. In comparison, one hookah session lasting a typical 60 minutes can result in a smoke volume that is 10 to 50 times more than a single cigarette. However, with hookah, your body absorbs the nicotine more slowly. Blood nicotine levels do not spike like they can with a cigarette due to the water filtration and the social, less frequent nature of hookah smoking compared to the constant draw of a cigarette.

For hookah lounge owners, make sure your customers understand that the nicotine experience with hookah is unique compared to cigarettes and vapes. Whether it is “better” or “worse” is subjective. The slower nicotine absorption and session based nature of hookah means it’s a social ritual rather than a compulsive habit. However, frequent use does have the potential to create a dependent habit.

2. Smoke and Vapor Composition: What’s Actually Being Inhaled

It’s critical that owners understand the differences in the three products your customers use and the smoke composition of each of them. Understanding these differences also creates the ability to accurately answer any health related questions your customers may have.

Cigarette Smoke: The Combustion Problem

On its own, the combustion that produces smoke is harmful. The burning of tobacco creates over 7000 compounds, over 7 of which are known to be carcinogenic. These include tar, formaldehyde, benzene, arsenic, cadmium, and PAHs. CO, a product of combustion, binds with hemoglobin 200 to 250 times more than O2, which reduces the blood’s ability to carry O2. The particulate matter that smoke contains coats the lungs and the respiratory tracts. There is no safe level of exposure to cigarette smoke. Harming the body is dose dependent and accumulative.

Vape Consist of Fewer Toxins But Unknowns

One of the phenomena associated with vaping is almost similar to smoke, but it is actually an aerosol. This is to show that combustion and burning of plants does not occur. The primary ingredients, which include propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, are Generally Recognized as Safe for oral consumption, and the FDA considers them safe, but their safety regarding being inhaled on a continuous basis is uncertain. These compounds have the potential to produce carbonyls, such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, but that occur primarily at high vaping temperatures with little or no e-liquid, and are thermal degradation byproducts. In the studies, however, it has been shown that the vape aerosol contains much less toxicants and carcinogens when compared to cigarette smoke. Public Health England has stated that vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking cigarettes.

Skepticism is warranted in this area for good reasons. The use of vitamin E acetate in illicit THC cartridges was responsible for the EVALI outbreak in 2019. E-liquids containing diacetyl, known as “popcorn lung,” may pose issues as well, though reputable manufacturers have slowly begun to eliminate this from their products. The long-term effects of flavoring additives have yet to be determined.

Hookah Smoke: Combustion-Adjacent

Hookah smoke is a good example of an in-between case. While the shisha itself is not combusted (it is indirectly heated), the charcoal used to heat shisha is combusted, causing harmful byproducts of shisha smoke. When charcoal combusts it causes the production of CO and many PAHs. Many scientists have shown that hookah smoke is almost identical to cigarette smoke in terms of the presence of certain toxicants that include CO, heavy metals, PAHs, and tar. However, these two have an unknown relationship in terms of concentration and proportion.

One of the most notable studies to show the danger presented by hookah smoking was by the CDC in 2016. The CDC showed that a single hookah smoking session (on average lasting 30 to 60 minutes), produces 1.7 times the amount of nicotine, 8.4 times the amount of CO, and 11.4 times the amount of tar of an average cigarette. However, many of the numbers shown are highly misleading. The focus is not on the relationship of one hookah smoking session to one cigarette. Rather, the focus is on the relationship of one hookah smoking session (which usually consists of 100 to 200 puffs over the course of the hour) to one cigarette (which usually contains about 10 to 15 puffs over the course of 5 minutes). On a per puff basis, hookahs present much lower amounts of tar and nicotine to the user than cigarettes.

The kind of charcoal and the method of heat control make a noticeable distinction when hookah smoking. Fast-light coals, which contain accelerants like potassium nitrate, produce more CO and chemical byproducts compared to natural coconut coals. A good heat management device (HMD) such as a Kaloud Lotus III, can control the heat, which helps you avoid burning your tobacco and thus reduces other unwanted byproducts. The quality of the hookah and the accessories do make a noticeable help in achieving a better smoke.

For lounge ownwers, the better the equipment and supplies that you have, the better quality air that your customers can enjoy inhaling. Using natural coconut coals, good quality shisha tobacco, and better heat management, you can help reduce the harmful byproducts. This is not a marketing gimmick; this is better for you and your customers.

3. Health Perception vs. Reality

The risk associated with each of these three products varies, and how the risk lines up with science, varies as well.

Cigarettes: The standard to which all smoking products are judged

The dangers of cigarette smoking is one of the easily recognized components of public health. Several decades of public health campaigns and warning labels, and shifts in social norms, have made cigarette smoking, especially in developed countries, a social taboo. Smokers themselves will acknowledge the health risks of smoking. Cigarette smoking, especially in lounges, is being made illegal in more and more of the world’s indoor public spaces, and this is partly why hookah lounges are allowed to keep offering alternatives to social smoking that are more flexible to regulation compared to smoking cigarettes.

Vaping: Divided Issue

Public opinion on vaping is split. Supporters of tobacco harm reduction describe vaping as a life-saving substitution for smokers who find it difficult to quit. Separately, anti-vaping campaigns focus on the risks of vaping for youth, the unknowns of vaping’s long-term effects, and the rational fear of nicotine addiction for non-smokers. Some vaping customers believe vaping to be “safe” or “harmless,” and some believe that vaping is even worse than smoking. Neither of these extremes is correct. The truth is that vaping is more harmful than smoking, but is considerably less harmful than smoking. Although there is a risk, especially for youth and non-smokers, it is a risk that is not worth ignoring.

Hookah: The “Health Halo” Effect

Hookah is another example of the “health halo” effect. Younger customers think and believe that hookah water filters remove smaller particles. They also believe that fruit flavored shisha is somehow “healthier” than shisha that contains tobacco. It is true that some of the particles in the smoke are larger, like some of the particulate matter, and that some of the harmful chemicals like carbon monoxide, heavy metals, and even, in some cases, the carcinogenic ones, are not removed from smoke. The water also cools the smoke, making it easier to inhale deeper, and increasing exposure.

A 2017 “Pediatrics” study showed 60% of young adult hookah users think hookah is less harmful than drinking cigarettes. This belief lacks scientific support and data suggests that drinking hookah sessions may be many times greater than the hazards posed by cigarette smoking. On the other end of the spectrum, other customers may believe hookah is “far worse” than cigarettes from viral stories that claim 1 hookah session = 100 cigarettes. This claim has been widely debunked.

Your customers arrive with a certain level of knowledge and belief about hookah. It’s not your job to provide a medical level of smoking response, but you should be ready to provide balanced and factual smoking response. For example, when customers ask if hookah is smoking, tell them, “It is a different smoking experience with a different set of risks. None of the inhaled smoke is safe, but it’s important to realize the risks and to educate yourself to make the best decision.”

It’s important to understand how hookah, vaping, and cigarettes differentiate themselves because this benefits your lounge overall.

Equipment Reflects Experiences

The quality of the equipment you choose delivers a very noticeable impact on your customer’s enjoyment of the product and the safety of what they are smoking. A good quality hookah like a Moze or Steamulation has a clean and sharp airflow thanks to the stainless steel tubing and the sealed connections. On the other hand, a cheap hookah will give you an uneven heating experience and more smoking particulate thanks to a poorly designed downstem and tubing. A cheap hookah will also introduce a very undesirable metallic or plastic taste. Good equipment is a good customer experience and a good customer experience is better for your customer’s health.

Your Tobacco is Your Brand

The type of tobacco you choose shows what type of business you are, and your choice of tobacco can be an easy way to show your brand. Darkside and Musthave tobacco brands introduce a more flavorful and higher nicotine experience, but these are more complicated to sell as they require a good understanding of heat management. For a more approachable experience you can also smoke a lower nicotine with Adalya tobacco which can be more friendly for beginner or more casual consumers of Shisha. Including variations on your tobacco will ensure you keep a more diverse customer base and give customers more control over their smoking experience.

4.Staff Education Is Essential

As a minimum requirement, staff ought to know the basic facts about what customers smoke. Staff will not be expected to state facts or data about the period and incidence of various hookah and cigarette-related diseases. However, they will be expected to know:

• Hookah smoke has nicotine and carbon monoxide and, like cigarette smoke, produces noxious and hazardous smoke in a different way.
• Water in the hookah does not filter out nicotine or most of the noxious and hazardous materials in the smoke.
• Good quality coals and good hookah assembly mitigate the unwanted by-products.
• Hookah, like cigarette smoking, is not a one-for-one comparison. Hookah smoking is a session based social activity.

Knowledge of Changing Laws

The laws of hookah lounges and hookah smoking change from place to place. For some, hookah lounges are considered to be bars or vape shops. For some, hookah lounges are now considered to be under the smoking ban laws. If you know the laws that change in each location and you ensure that your lounge is following ttubos para cachimbas laws, it will protect your business from litigation.

5.Summary

At a fundamental level, hookah, vaping, and cigarette smoking are different, and nicotine and other substances are delivered to the body through different methods and processes. There is no simple way to compare which of the products is safest. People use the different products for different reasons and they appeal to different audiences.

The important points for lounge operators are:

• There is no ‘safe’ hookah smoking, but the dangers and the risks of hookah smoking are different from cigarette and vape smoking.
• Using the best quality hookah smoking equipment and good quality coals and good use of coals and hookah heat can mitigate the harmful by-products.
• People perceive and believe a lot of things about hookah that are not true, and you will have to provide and answer based on facts and data and not on medical related claims.

Leveraging the knowledge you have about hookah and your lounge’s quality focus and transparency will help you differentiate your lounge and subsequently attract customers.

Ultimately, the atmosphere, the mouthwatering flavors, and the social aspects draw your customers to hookah. Knowing the science of what they are inhaling allows you to run an exceptional lounge, answer their questions with self-assurance, and provide that experience without hesitation.