Hookah, or shisha, smoking involves using a waterpipe to heat and inhale flavored smoke, often in a social setting. The tobacco used, known as mu’assel, is typically sweet and aromatic. This sweet flavor and smooth smoke often mask the harshness associated with tobacco, leading many people to question whether the substance contains nicotine. Understanding the composition of shisha tobacco clarifies the level of nicotine exposure users experience during a typical session.
Nicotine Presence in Traditional Shisha Tobacco
Traditional shisha tobacco, or mu’assel, is a moist mixture made primarily of tobacco leaf, molasses or honey, vegetable glycerin, and flavorings. Because it contains tobacco leaf, the product naturally contains nicotine, which the flavoring process does not remove entirely.
The concentration of nicotine varies depending on the leaf type used. Lighter leaf varieties, such as Virginia tobacco, are often washed, reducing the nicotine content to a lower range, sometimes around 0.05% by weight. Dark leaf blends, also known as Darkblend, use unwashed tobacco and can contain significantly higher nicotine concentrations, reaching 0.3% to 0.4% or more. The perception that shisha is low in nicotine is based on these percentages, which are often lower than those found in a cigarette before use.
Nicotine Absorption During a Hookah Session
While the nicotine percentage in the product might seem low, the manner in which shisha is smoked drastically increases the total nicotine absorbed by the user. A typical hookah session is lengthy, often lasting between 45 and 60 minutes, compared to the few minutes required to smoke a cigarette. This extended duration means the user is continuously exposed to the nicotine released from the heated tobacco.
During this time, a user can inhale an extremely large volume of smoke, potentially up to 90,000 milliliters. The water in the base of the pipe does not filter out nicotine effectively, despite common belief. The cool, moist smoke is inhaled deeply into the lungs, which allows for efficient delivery and absorption of the chemical.
Research comparing total nicotine exposure shows that a single hookah session can result in nicotine absorption equivalent to smoking multiple cigarettes. A single session may deliver 1.7 to 3 times the amount of nicotine from one cigarette. Studies have found that daily hookah use results in nicotine absorption levels comparable to smoking between seven and thirteen cigarettes per day. The long duration of the session and the sheer volume of smoke inhaled are the main drivers of the substantial nicotine exposure.
Identifying Nicotine-Free and Herbal Alternatives
For individuals seeking the social ritual and flavor experience without the addictive chemical, the market offers explicitly labeled nicotine-free alternatives. These products, often called herbal shisha or steam stones, contain no actual tobacco leaf. Instead, they use materials like fruit pulp, sugarcane fiber, or specific dried herbs, which are then mixed with glycerin and flavorings.
These herbal mixtures are designed to replicate the thick, flavorful smoke of traditional shisha when heated. Products are clearly marked as “nicotine-free” or “tobacco-free” to distinguish them from traditional mu’assel. While these alternatives eliminate the addictive substance, they are not entirely without risk. The process of heating and inhaling any product still involves combustion, which generates carbon monoxide and other byproducts that can be inhaled.