Shisha use 'no safe alternative to smoking' - health official

The use of the shisha, or water pipe, is becoming more popular among young people but many are under the illusion that it is a safe alternative to cigarettes, according to a health official. The nicotine exposure from daily water pipe use is estimated to be equivalent to smoking 10 cigarettes a day. When it comes to passive smoking, in a typical one-hour shisha session a person is exposed to the smoke equivalent emitted by 100 to 200 cigarettes, Anne Buttigieg from the health promotion directorate warned. Read the full story in The Sunday Times of Malta or timesofmalta.com premium.