Youth smoking its lungs away for ‘fun’

The trend of smoking Sheesha among the students is rising in the federal capital. Youngsters find it to be a good excuse of socializing and hanging out with friends, however they remain oblivious to its hazards.
There is a common misconception in Pakistani youth that smoking Sheesha is not as harmful as smoking cigarettes. “An Average pipe smoking session of around an hour is equivalent to smoking up to 200 cigarettes,” said World Health Organization’s recent report on Sheesha. In Islamabad, despite the tall claims made by Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICT) of having curbed illegal Sheesha spots, more such spots are cropping up.
“I’m not a smoker but I came here just for chill and fun,” said Nazia Sharif, while sitting in a café at Rawal Lake. She said that Sheesha ‘relaxed’ her but its excessive use made her dizzy. A number of restaurants and food outlets are openly offering Sheesha to their customers. Even they don’t hesitate to offer the same to women and children. During the visits of various smoking cafés, it was observed that Sheesha smokers take it as fun and pleasure, and they do not know about the health hazards related to it.
Hukka, the traditional water pipe, has been in use in the region for centuries and Sheesha is its modern shape. “The Sheesha is up to 100 times more harmful than one cigarette,” said Saleem Khan who is in favour of complete ban on Sheesha in Pakistan.
Around 50 Sheesha corners are present in the capital and most of them are operating without licences. Those centres which have licenses include, the Jungle Hotel situated near Daman-e-Koh, Melody Food Street and Lake View Park.
The average charge for one Sheesha session is Rs 250 to Rs 300 and reaches up to Rs 800, depending on the location. Some of the private clubs even charge up to Rs 1,800 per sitting. The most widely used Sheesha flavours are double apple and cigar in winters, whereas mint and grapes are preferred in summers.