Hookah smoking is often thought of as a safe alternative to cigarettes. However, many young adults are unaware of the potentially negative health effects of a hookah smoking session.

“There is a widespread misconception that these so-called ‘herbal’ products are somehow a healthy alternative to tobacco,” Alberta Health Services researcher Barry Finegan said in a press release. “Many people assume because they are flavoured and filtered through water, and do not contain nicotine, that they must be harmless. But this is not the case.”