Mm.... just as vaping gets a lot of bad press, horribly unscientific studies and general heresy as opposed to objective facts, shisha/hubbly gets more.
So to set matters right, no, hubbly does not have "far more nicotine than a cigarette." Not by mass in the raw material, and considerably less in the final, inhaled product. Most of the "studies" done were done in very much the same, incoherent and biased manner as we are seeing studies for vaping, and while many of them have been debunked, most of the quotes (such as yours - no offense intended, I see it all the time) keep flying around without regard for the context or proof of the original study.
I've actually read a peer-reviewed study where they dry-burned the molasses/tobacco mixture used in shisha (no coal, no foil, no water - literally just set it alight) and argued that whatever they analysed is what hubbly-smokers inhale. In a vaping context, that is like dry burning cotton and claiming all vapers inhale burnt organic cotton directly to their lungs. There was also the issue of "water on the lungs" from hubbly - no, you cannot physically get water bubbles on your lungs from inhaling gaseous particles bubbled through water. Again, in vaping context, compare this to the "popcorn lung" issue. And every time I hear the "smoking 45 minutes hookah as compared to 5 minutes cigarette" BS argument - seriously, how does that work? Physically? Are you actually creating new matter whilst smoking? Regardless of concentration, it is impossible to go beyond the actual, total amount of nicotine in a bowl of shisha.
To give you some personal, empirical validation: I was a two to five head hookah smoker a day (round about one pack of coals, or average 3 hours smoking). Thats a crap load. When I moved over to vaping (and now 6 months without hookah whatsoever) I very quickly dropped down to 1.5 mg/ml - I just couldn't take much higher, and this was MTL, before I started sub-ohming. In time, I have actually moved up to 3 mg/ml (increasing my nic content from when I was smoking hubbly), but I still DIY between 1.5 to 2.5 mg/ml. And finally, since I've started vaping, I've more often noticed nicotine overdose from vaping than when I was smoking hubbly.
Now - vaping is still a gazillion times better than hubbly. I don't get carbon monoxide overdose anymore (which used to give me massive headaches, known as a "hookah hangover"). My entire house and person doesn't smell like mouldy peaches any more. I don't inhale all the other horrid chemicals, or old hubbly water any more. I really love vaping - it is a massive improvement from smoking hookah.
But please, for the sake of the objectivity we as vapers ask from our peers, don't just repeat whatever you heard verbatim. I know you meant well, and I really don't want to offend - I just get a little bit upset when I see ridiculous statements from the uninformed (as we get everyday from non-vapers regarding all the "health-risks" of vaping).
For any hubbly smokers moving to vaping - start at loooow nic levels (but don't do 0, or you will relapse), and drink much, much more water than normal - you are used to smoke almost hydrating you, whereas vape has the opposite effect!
Thanks for that. Really informative.
And helps a lot!
Fellow hub smokers know what I am feeling...
Wow thank you
vaping saved my life from tobacco :! Hubbly tobacco was still tobacco, just of the wet quantity that had flavouring meant to burn slowly :anyone ever seen the production of hookah flavours?
