So if you’re a high schooler, you’ve probably heard of hookahs. And it is possible that you have used one or know someone who does. Hookahs are water pipes that people use to smoke tobacco.

The thing about hookahs and the specially made tobacco (shisha) that is smoked through them is that they are marketed to be safer than smoking cigarettes. They’re not. People argue that smoking out of a water pipe filters toxins; this has been tested and proven false. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, a water pipe smoker can inhale as much smoke in one session as a cigarette smoker would inhale by smoking 100 or more cigarettes.

There are some non-tobacco products that claim they can be used without the harmful effects of tobacco. This is false advertising. The CDC says that both tobacco b and herbal versions of shisha “contain carbon monoxide and other toxic agents known to increase the risks for smoking related cancers, heard disease and lung disease.” Another reason people believe hookah to be safer than cigarettes is the amount of nicotine in the tobacco is supposedly less than cigarettes, but the Mayo Clinic states that there is about the same amount of nicotine in both.

In short, hookah is not the way to go. Not only does it have the same risks and consequences of cigarettes, but it is disguised to be safer. Don’t trust the false advertising of companies who want to get you addicted, hook, line and sinker, so you become life-long customers to a product that will do serious damage to your body.

If you need help overcoming an addiction to nicotine, talk to your friends and family, or a trusted adult, and get their support in helping you quit. You can also call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for additional help and support from people who work with you to be able to stop.