Safety Concerns for Electronic Shisha Pens

The electronic shisha pen which is also commonly known as an electronic shisha stick, e-hookah or an electronic hookah is becoming one of the most popular known trends especially among the younger generation of today. The main reason behind this rise in shisha pen popularity is because they offer users with the same experience of a traditional hookah/ shisha but without the harmful smoke. There have been many claims that these shisha pens are quite safe with very little risk factor if compared to the traditional shisha smoking experience. Thus this raises the questions, what are shisha pens? Are they really a safe alternative to the traditional hookahs? To answer these questions we first of all would need to know

How do they work?                                               

Just like the electronic cigarette, a shisha pen is a battery operated device where a heating element helps the e-liquid inside the shisha pen to heat up, creating vapours that can then be inhaled by its user. You can find these shisha pens both in disposable and reusable options providing its users with a huge variety of flavours that they can choose from. There is one flavour to suit every smoker’s preferences.

What is inside the shisha pen?

The ingredients used in all types of shisha pen are water, flavourings derived from fruits and herbs, propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin. It is good to know that that both the vegetable glycerin and the propylene glycol are non-toxic organics and considered safe for use without causing any health alarms. However, evidence is lacking about the long term effects of inhaling these products.

Is the shisha pen toxic?

Most of the shisha pens available in the market do not contain any kind of toxic compounds such as carbon monoxide or any cancer causing agents which are more commonly found in traditional shisha. But on the other hand there are some devices which may contain a little amount of nicotine all depending on what brand is being used. The absence of nicotine from this type of smoking experience also does not make smokers addicted. 

Traditional shisha smoking not only puts users but also others in the vicinity at risk of inhaling first hand and second hand smoke. Smokers are known to be more susceptible to certain medical conditions such as certain types of cancers, respiratory complications and heart conditions among others.  Using its electronic counterpart spares the smokers and others around them from exposure to the detrimental effects of inhaling any kind of smoke. 

There is no danger of passive smoking when using electronic shisha pens. And as these electronic shisha pens do not contain any form of toxic chemical in them like the traditional shisha there is much less of a risk of contracting any kind of smoke related diseases. However, just to be on the safe side it is always advisable to check the ingredients properly before purchasing an electronic shisha stick. An attractive feature of getting the shisha pen is that there is no restriction on using it in public places. Users can enjoy a lot of freedom in where they choose to vape or not.

How safe is the electronic shisha pen?

For many, inhaling water vapours that are produced by non-toxic ingredients is not a health threatening practice and is considered safer than traditional methods of shisha smoking. The absence of tobacco, nicotine, and other chemicals makes using electronic pens a healthier option for many smokers. However, caution still needs to be practiced as the electronic shisha pens are still a new product on the market and there are unanswered questions regarding its prolonged use and consequent effects.