what is shisha made of?
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What Is Shisha?
The flavoured tobacco smoked in a hookah, heated by charcoal with smoke drawn through water. Despite its mild image, it is harmful.
You may have come across the word shisha and wondered what it is. In short, shisha is the flavoured tobacco that is smoked in a hookah, or waterpipe, often socially over a long session. Despite its sweet, mild reputation, shisha is harmful, like other forms of smoking. This guide explains, alongside our guide on what shisha is made of.
Quick answer
Shisha is the flavoured, often sweet tobacco that is smoked in a hookah, or waterpipe. Charcoal heats it and the smoke is drawn through water and inhaled, usually socially over a long session. The word is also used for the activity itself. Despite its mild image, shisha is harmful: the smoke contains tar, carbon monoxide and toxic chemicals.
What shisha is
Shisha is a moist, flavoured tobacco, typically sweetened, that is smoked using a hookah, a type of waterpipe. The word shisha is used both for the tobacco itself and, loosely, for the activity of smoking it. Burning charcoal heats the shisha, and the smoke passes through a bowl of water before being inhaled through a hose, often shared between people over a relaxed, social session.
What shisha is
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is | Flavoured tobacco smoked in a hookah |
| Also means | The activity of smoking it |
| Heated by | Burning charcoal |
| Smoke | Drawn through water, then inhaled |
| Harmful? | Yes |
Not as mild as it seems
Shisha has a gentle, social, sweet smelling image, but it is harmful like other smoking. A common myth is that the water filters out the harm, which it does not, the smoke still contains tar, carbon monoxide and many toxic chemicals. Because a session can last a long time, the total smoke inhaled can far exceed a single cigarette, with the charcoal adding carbon monoxide on top.
Shisha is the flavoured tobacco smoked in a hookah, heated by charcoal with the smoke drawn through water. Despite its mild image, it is harmful, and the water does not filter out the harm.
Myths and facts
| Myth | The reality |
|---|---|
| Shisha is not really tobacco | Traditional shisha is flavoured tobacco, so it contains nicotine and is harmful. |
| The water makes shisha safe | No, that is a myth; the smoke still contains tar, carbon monoxide and toxins. |
| Shisha is milder than a cigarette | A long session can mean far more smoke than a single cigarette. |
| Flavour means less harm | The flavour does not change the harmful smoke you inhale. |
Frequently asked questions
What is shisha?
Shisha is the flavoured tobacco smoked in a hookah, or waterpipe; the word also refers to the activity of smoking it.
Is shisha the same as hookah?
Shisha is the tobacco; the hookah is the waterpipe used to smoke it, though the words are often used loosely.
Does shisha contain tobacco?
Traditional shisha is flavoured tobacco, so it contains nicotine and is harmful.
Is shisha harmful?
Yes, the smoke contains tar, carbon monoxide and toxic chemicals, and a long session can exceed a single cigarette.
Does the water filter out the harm?
No, that is a myth; the water does not remove the harmful substances in the smoke.
The bottom line
Shisha is the flavoured, usually sweet tobacco that is smoked in a hookah, or waterpipe, with the word also used for the activity itself. Burning charcoal heats the shisha and the smoke is drawn through water before being inhaled, often shared socially over a long session. Despite its mild, sweet smelling image, shisha is harmful like other smoking: the water does not filter out the harm, and the smoke contains tar, carbon monoxide and toxic chemicals, with a long, sociable session often exceeding the smoke of a single cigarette by far.
More help and related reading
If this guide raised other questions, the Help and Guidance library has plain English answers to many more. The closely related pages below are worth a look, and you can always return to the main hub to browse every topic we cover. If you are unsure which product suits you, our team is always happy to help.
- What is shisha made of?
- Is shisha bad for you?
- What is hookah?
- Browse the full Help and Guidance library
Key things to remember
- Flavoured tobacco smoked in a hookah
- Heated by charcoal; smoke drawn through water
- Often shared socially over a long session
- The water does not filter out the harm
- Harmful, like other smoking
The social side and the risk
Much of shishas appeal is social, it is shared, relaxed and sweet smelling, often enjoyed over a long session with others. That is also part of what hides its risk, because the long, sociable sessions mean a large amount of smoke is inhaled, and the cool, flavoured smoke feels far gentler than it is.
Add the carbon monoxide from the burning charcoal, and a relaxed shisha session can mean a surprisingly large exposure to harmful chemicals. So while the social side is the draw, the health risk is real and easy to underestimate.
Shisha in brief
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| What | Flavoured tobacco |
| Smoked in | A hookah waterpipe |
| Heated by | Charcoal |
| Setting | Social, long sessions |
| Harm | Real, easy to underestimate |
A few more questions
Can you get addicted to shisha?
Yes, shisha tobacco contains nicotine, which is addictive, so regular use can lead to dependence.
Do and don’t
Do
- Recognise shisha is harmful, not mild
- Know the water does not filter out the harm
- Be aware a session can exceed a cigarette
- Consider stopping, with free support available
Try not to
- Believe the water makes it safe
- Assume flavour means less harm
- Treat a long session as harmless
- Share a mouthpiece, which can pass on infections
Shisha compared with other tobacco use
Set alongside other ways people use tobacco, shisha sits firmly at the harmful end, because it involves burning tobacco and inhaling smoke, often in large amounts over a session, plus carbon monoxide from the charcoal. It is not a safer alternative to cigarettes, and its social, occasional pattern does not make it harmless.
For anyone wanting to move away from tobacco in any form, the healthiest step is to stop altogether, and free stop smoking services can help. For those who would otherwise smoke, less harmful nicotine options exist, but shisha is not one of them.
Where shisha sits
| Option | Position |
|---|---|
| Shisha | Harmful; burning tobacco and smoke |
| Cigarettes | Harmful |
| Heated tobacco | Likely less harmful than smoking, not safe |
| Vaping | Less harmful than smoking, not risk free |
| Nothing | Best for health |
More questions answered
Is hookah the same as shisha?
The terms are often used interchangeably; the hookah is the waterpipe, and shisha is the flavoured tobacco smoked in it.
Is occasional shisha safe?
No amount of smoking is safe; even occasional sessions expose you to tar, carbon monoxide and toxic chemicals.
Common questions about shisha
People often ask whether shisha is somehow gentler than cigarettes because it is flavoured, shared and smoked slowly. The reality is the opposite in one important way, because sessions are long, the total smoke inhaled can be greater than from a single cigarette, even though each puff feels mild. The flavour and the water change the experience, not the harm.
Others ask whether tobacco free herbal shisha avoids the problem. It does not, since burning any material and inhaling the smoke produces harmful substances. Whichever form is used, shisha remains a harmful way to use a waterpipe.
A couple more questions
Is shisha worse than cigarettes?
A long session can mean far more smoke than a single cigarette, plus carbon monoxide from the charcoal, so it is certainly not safer.
Can shisha be addictive?
Yes, traditional shisha contains nicotine, which is addictive, so regular use can lead to dependence.
A quick word on safety and the law
Vaping and nicotine products are intended for adult smokers and existing vapers as a less harmful alternative to cigarettes. They contain nicotine unless stated otherwise, which is addictive, and they are not suitable for non smokers, pregnant women or anyone under 18. By law you must be 18 or over to buy vaping products in the UK, and we age verify every order. If you want to stop using nicotine altogether, your local stop smoking service offers free, tailored support.
UK public health bodies advise that vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking, but it is not risk free, and if you do not smoke the advice is not to start.
This guide is general information, not personal medical advice. If you have specific health concerns, please speak to a GP or pharmacist.
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