Myths and facts
What people believe about smoking, and what the science says.
Short answers to the questions we hear most. Every answer links to its source.
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Is hookah safer than cigarettes?
No. The WHO says a typical one-hour hookah session can mean inhaling 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke from a single cigarette. Hookah tobacco also carries nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar.
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Does the water in a hookah filter the smoke?
No. The WHO calls this a common misconception. Passing smoke through water does not make it safe, and no device or accessory has been shown to make hookah smoking safer.
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Is vaping just harmless water vapor?
No. US public health guidance states that e-cigarette aerosol is not harmless. It can contain nicotine, ultrafine particles, flavorings like diacetyl, cancer-causing chemicals and heavy metals such as nickel, tin and lead.
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Is one cigarette a day safe?
No. A US National Cancer Institute study found that people who smoked 1 to 10 cigarettes a day had an 87% higher risk of early death than people who never smoked. Even less than one a day carried a 64% higher risk.
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How much life does one cigarette cost?
About 20 minutes of life expectancy per cigarette, by a recent University College London estimate: roughly 17 minutes for men and 22 for women.
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How many people does tobacco kill?
More than 8 million people every year worldwide, including around 1.3 million non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke, according to the WHO.
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How common is smoking in Lebanon?
Very common. A 2019 household survey found that 35.1% of adults in Lebanon smoked cigarettes and 39.5% smoked hookah.
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What happens to my body when I quit?
Within 20 minutes your heart rate and blood pressure drop. Within 12 hours the carbon monoxide in your blood returns to normal. After a year, your heart disease risk is about half a smoker's, says the WHO.
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Inhale hope. Exhale addiction.
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