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Carcinogens Found in Water Pipe Smoking May Increase Risk for Cancer

Key Points:

– Water pipe smoking raised levels of nicotine, cotinine, tobacco-related carcinogens, and volatile organic compounds, including benzene and acrolein, in young adult users.
– After a single session of water pipe smoking, study volunteers had a 73-fold increase in nicotine, a fourfold increase in cotinine, twofold increase in NNAL, and a 14% to 91% increase in the breakdown products of volatile organic compounds.
– Given the significant intake of nicotine and carcinogens, chronic water pipe use could put users at an increased risk for cancer and other chronic diseases.