RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas (ValleyCentral)- Following the ban on Juul vaping products, a new study is looking into whether doing hookah is safer, and experts are sharing the differences.
“Once you start smoking hookah at a young age we found out in the pediatric population where they did a study, they found out that there’s more likelihood that these same patients are more likely to smoke cigarettes,” said Dr. Sujan Gogu, a Family Medicine Physician at South Texas Health System Clinics.
A discussion of whether hookah is safer and healthier than vaping has come to light following the ban on Juul vaping products.
“Hookah for example can give you much more nicotine than cigarettes can and on average it can do anywhere from 30 to 40 times more nicotine,” said Gogu.
Doctors share that neither options are healthier, in fact, they explain that both cause a lot of damage.
“Both have their risks obviously. I think when you look at hookah for example the water from the hookah does not clean the smoke, a lot of people think it does and that’s not entirely true,” said Gogu.
While many who are trying to stop smoking turn to these options, doctors said there are other ways to quit.
“There are other nicotine replacement products including nicotine gum and other medications that can be prescribed by your doctor,” said Dr. Jose Campo Maldonado, an Internal Specialist at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen.
Doctors recommend talking to your primary physician before looking at alternatives to smoking, they say each person’s needs are different for treatment.
