Shisha Vape and E-Cig – Comparison, Analysis and Explanation

All millennials and Gen-Zs must be familiar with hookah bars and lounges by now. You must at least have social experience with first or second hand vaping e-liquids, or have tried e-cigs. All of the above activities are very popular with the younger population of the West. Still, there are fundamental differences between the three. So let’s start by examining what the three (shisha, vape and e-cig) mean exactly – starting with the shisha:

hookah

A shisha is a form of water pipe. In this particular form of tobacco consumption, the substance burns in a small bowl before it passes a water chamber and is finally inhaled through a rubber tube that leads to a mouthpiece.

Photo by Viktor Forgacs, courtesy Unsplash

E-cigarettes

International authorities consider e-cigs, the common name for e- (electronic) cigarettes, to be a type of electronic nicotine delivery system. Basically they are battery operated and offer nicotine-enriched vapor (no smoke) in a variety of flavors. The battery supplies electricity to the heating element, which converts the liquid nicotine into vapor. The typically disposable cartridges contain the liquid. The resulting steam is similar to smoke, but odorless and is ultimately inhaled.

Vaping

Vaping works like e-cigs, and in fact, e-cigs are often thought of as vaping devices. They are very different from hookahs; a vaping device is used to heat vape juice or e-liquid through a coil. The consumption of said vapor is the same as for e-cigarettes. The different forms of steamers are named differently and include:

• Vape pen
• E pen
• E-water pipe
• Mech mod
• Box mod

Now let’s examine the three types (shisha, vape, and e-cig) of smoking devices mentioned in the article in terms of their experience, health effects, and cost.

The experience-based perspective

In the modern context, shisha is a social pleasure. People consume it with friends and a little less often with their family. It is designed to be consumed in groups rather than as individuals. With plenty of hookah bars and lounges, it’s a smoking session that tobacco lovers enjoy together. Accordingly, many Shisha and Shisha manufacturers take place at several trade fairs and congresses, making new flavors and other Shisha products available to the general public. The shisha has a long and varied history of use all over the world. It is an integral part of social culture in different places and brings people together on a certain level.

Ease of use is one of the main features of e-cigarettes. Like regular cigarette smoke, it contains nicotine, but you inhale it as vapor, not smoke. Water and flavored tobacco are the liquid that turns into vapor. As a result, e-cigarette smoke can come in all sorts of flavors, and each one has its own taste. All of these make e-cigarettes a great alternative to traditional cigarette smoking.

Photo by VapeClubMY, courtesy of Unsplash

Finally, vape juice is the term tobacco enthusiasts use to refer to the liquid inhaled through vaping devices. Now it has a bigger punch than traditional cigarettes in terms of the kick they deliver. You can even combine it with a simple weed pipe for a solid smoking experience. Beginners need guidance, however, as vape smoking can make people feel intoxicated relatively quickly when smoking the vigorous varieties of vape juice. So you should start with a vape juice that has a low concentration of nicotine for a smooth high.

The health perspective

There is an opinion among certain tobacco enthusiasts that shisha is better than traditional cigarette smoking because the smoke is filtered through water. But it’s a misconception that hookah smoke is teeming with nicotine. Nicotine is notorious in medical circles for its high toxicity. That said, like cigarette smoke, shisha smoke also contains large amounts of the addictive drug, along with many other harmful chemicals. In addition, like cigarette smoke, when you inhale shisha smoke, your lungs take a shock. Some studies further suggest, and experts believe, that hookah might actually be more dangerous because of the longer periods of time.

The internationally recognized American organization NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) does not have sufficient evidence to say anything about the health risks of e-cigarettes due to insufficient information alone. However, there is evidence that e-cigarettes are not entirely safe either, as shown by the results of many studies. For example, according to two studies, the Science News publication reported that e-cigarettes can lower human immunity, making them susceptible to illnesses like the flu.

Photo by Jannis Brandt, courtesy of Unsplash

A 2016 study shows that the practice of vaping can lead to greater susceptibility to lung infections. However, as with e-cigarettes, which are a form of vaping, there isn’t enough evidence to make conclusive statements. This is primarily due to the more recent origins of the methods involved. But the general opinion among experts is that it is still safer than traditional cigarettes.

The respective costs of shisha, vape and e-cigarette

A single session of hookah smoking can set you up around 10 dollars for one person. Conversely, the cost of a three-person smoking experience is around $ 15. Some shisha lounges offer a different shisha shisha and better value for money.

Single-use e-cigarettes aren’t really expensive, and these single-use varieties cost anywhere from $ 1 to $ 15. One person can charge many starter kits with multiple pods that set you back by $ 26 to $ 150 and up each. You can use such kits multiple times by refilling fluids, which cost anywhere from $ 50 to $ 75 for a month’s supply.

People planning to switch from cigarette smoking to vaping may be wondering what will cost them less. According to certain figures, using vape to get your nicotine jinx can save you up to 92 percent of your hard-earned money. However, do not think of the number as a hard and fast rule, as many factors can potentially influence such an estimate. And as a last word, vaping can cost even more than traditional cigarettes.