{
  "id": 18488241,
  "title": "‘It’s a lie’- Dr Serebour dismisses claims shisha is less harmful because smoke passes through water",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/its-a-lie-dr-serebour-dismisses-claims-shisha-is-less-harmful-because-18488241",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-06T11:00:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/its-a-lie-dr-serebour-dismisses-claims-shisha-is-less-harmful-because-smoke-passes-through-water/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dr. Lawrence Serebour, former Director of the Korle Bu Cardio Centre, has debunked the notion that shisha smoking is less harmful than cigarette smoking due to the smoke passing through water before inhalation. During a discussion on “Shisha: Status Symbol or Slow Poison” on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Dr. Serebour clarified that the water in shisha pipes does not filter out harmful chemicals from the smoke. Instead, the water merely cools down the smoke, allowing users to inhale more of it. He warned that the carbon monoxide released during shisha smoking is far greater than that from cigarette smoking, which can negatively affect the heart, lungs, and the blood's ability to transport oxygen. Dr. Serebour also dismissed the idea that water acts as a filter for dangerous substances in shisha smoke, stating it is a lie. He further explained that a single hour of shisha smoking is equivalent to inhaling the smoke from 100 to 200 cigarettes, highlighting the high level of exposure to harmful chemicals. With tobacco smoke containing over 7,000 chemicals, about 70 of which are carcinogenic, Dr. Serebour termed shisha smoking as a form of slow-acting suicide. He emphasized that the harmful substances such as nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide can damage various organs in the body, leading to serious health complications, including cancer.",
  "summary": "Former Director of the Korle Bu Cardio Centre, Dr Lawrence Serebour, has dismissed claims that shisha smoking is less harmful than cigarette smoking because the smoke passes through water before being inhaled. He described the belief as false, warning that the water in shisha pipes does not remove harmful chemicals from the smoke and that […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "‘It’s a lie’- Dr Serebour dismisses claims shisha is less harmful because smoke passes through water",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/its-a-lie-dr-serebour-dismisses-claims-shisha-is-less-harmful-because",
        "published": "2026-11-06T09:51:01.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}