Blogs by Aman Maloo

Many people think that water pipe smoking, a growing trend around the Globe, is a risk-free way to get a nicotine fix It’s a tobacco smoking style with many names: hookah, shisha, narghile, goza, and hubble-bubble, to name a few. Invented in India in the 15th century, water-pipe smoking has long been popular in the Middle East. Yet over the past decade, smoking hookah has also become trendy in the U.S., particularly on college campuses and among high school students. Today, an estimated 100 million people worldwide smoke water pipes, with many users mistakenly believing that it is a risk-free way to consume tobacco. Part of the appeal is the exotic device, which is typically ornately decorated yet has a simple design. A bowl at the top of the water pipe holds a sticky mixture of tobacco, honey, molasses, fruit pulp, and/or flavorings as diverse as mint, coconut, peach, and even cola. Crushed tobacco leaves, typically present at about 5–10% in the mixture, look like little fl...

Smoking marijuana can triple your chances of dying from high blood pressure The health effects of marijuana are far from conclusive, as we reported. Now, a new study provides evidence that pot might be hurting your heart: Using marijuana can raise your risk of dying from hypertension, researchers from Georgia State University suggest. In the study, researchers surveyed over 1,200 participants on their marijuana habits, and then followed them up for 20 years. After adjusting for factors like body mass index (BMI) and previous heart issues, the researchers discovered that those who used marijuana were more than three times as likely to die from high blood pressure than those who didn't touch the stuff. Plus, for each year of marijuana use, their risk grew by four percent. The researchers say this shows that the heart effects of marijuana may be even greater than the heart risks already established for cigarette smoking. The active component of marijuana, tetrahy...

Think You’re Safe Cause You Only Smoke Socially? You’re Dead Wrong! “I only smoke when I go out, so that doesn’t count” – how often have we heard this from friends who are social smokers – people who can smoke the occasional cigarette and not get addicted. Every smoker wishes they could do that, instead of being enslaved to their cancer sticks! But don’t get too envious; studies show that even occasional smokers don’t get off scot-free as there is no “safe” level of smoking. How Even The Occasional Cigarette Can Damage Your Health   If you’re a smoker, you know just how much it affects your health because everyone from your aunts and uncles to your non-smoking friends and even your building watchman has warned you about it! However, people who only smoke occasionally believe that their smoking habits have a negligible impact on their health. This type of thinking is particularly dangerous because it means that occasional smokers don’t see the need to quit smoking. ...