Former Director of the Korle Bu Cardio Centre, Dr Lawrence Serebour, has warned that people who inhale shisha smoke in lounges and other social settings face serious health risks, even if they do not smoke it themselves.

He said exposure to smoke from other shisha users could have health consequences similar to those experienced by people who smoke directly, including an increased risk of hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, respiratory illnesses and cancer.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Friday, November 6, during a discussion on “Shisha: Status Symbol or Slow Poison”, Dr Serebour raised concerns about non-smokers who visit shisha lounges and inhale smoke from nearby tables.

Responding to a question about the health effects of such exposure, he said people sitting close to shisha users could suffer similar consequences.

“It is as bad as smoking shisha itself,” he warned.

Dr Serebour explained that chemicals in shisha smoke can narrow blood vessels, increasing pressure on the heart and potentially leading to hypertension.

“The chemicals in shisha can cause you to have hypertension because they narrow the blood vessels, and then they put pressure on the heart,” he explained.

“At the end, if you continuously smoke this, you end up being hypertensive. You are amenable to having heart attacks, to having strokes and all those,” he added.

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Respiratory illnesses and infection risks

The cardiologist said exposure to shisha smoke could also trigger or worsen respiratory conditions such as asthma and bronchitis, as well as increase the risk of chest infections.

He identified hypertension, heart attacks, cancers and respiratory complications among the health problems associated with shisha smoking.

“So hypertension, getting heart attacks, you know, cancers, I mean, respiratory tract problems. I mean, if you ask, it can precipitate asthma, bronchitis, chest infections,” he said.

Dr Serebour also cautioned against sharing shisha mouthpieces, warning that doing so could facilitate the spread of infectious diseases, particularly where proper hygiene is not maintained.

He mentioned tuberculosis, influenza and COVID-19 as infections that could be transmitted through shared mouthpieces.

“And then the fact that you share mouthpieces, all these, some of it may lead to the transfer of infections, tuberculosis, I mean flu, COVID. It can be a way of transmission of COVID infections. So, a lot of things,” he cautioned.

Cancer concerns

Beyond cardiovascular and respiratory complications, Dr Serebour warned that exposure to chemicals in shisha smoke could increase the risk of several types of cancer.

He listed cancers of the mouth, lips, nasopharynx, throat, oesophagus, stomach and bladder among the potential consequences.

“Cancer of the mouth, cancer of the lips, nasopharyngeal cancers, throat cancers, cancers of the oesophagus, stomach, bladder, a whole lot of problems can be caused by all these chemicals that are in shisha smoke,” he said.

He urged people not to underestimate the dangers of shisha smoke, particularly because non-smokers can also be exposed to it in social environments.