Many people are misled into thinking that shisha pipes(link is external) (also called hookahs) are safer than cigarettes due to their exotic smells and attractive waterpipes, according to the British Heart Foundation(link is external) (BHF).
The warning comes as the BHF seeks to raise awareness of the risks involved in smoking shisha.
The same amount of smoke can be inhaled during a typical hour-long shisha session as from more than 100 tobacco cigarettes, the BHF found. Yet 84 per cent of survey respondents thought it was equivalent to ten or fewer cigarettes.
Researchers found that the majority of users are unaware that shisha smoking is linked to the same kinds of diseases as cigarette smoking, including cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease and problems during pregnancy.
Around 15 per cent of people aged 25 to 34 - some of the most common users - believe there are no health harms from shisha at all, and 44 per cent think it is less harmful than cigarettes.
Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the BHF, said: "Contrary to popular belief, shisha is not safer than smoking cigarettes. Don't be duped by the sweet smell and wholesome sounding fruity flavours - if you use shisha you are a smoker and that means you're putting your health at risk.
"It's linked to the same serious and life-threatening diseases as cigarettes and there are added risks because you often smoke it for far longer than you would a cigarette and you're also exposed to toxins from the wood or charcoal used to burn the tobacco."
Worryingly, Freedom of Information data from 133 local authorities in major towns and cities across the UK shows 53 per cent have - or have had - a shisha bar since 2007, while more than 40 per cent have seen a rise in the number of shisha bars since the smoking ban came into force.
Robin Hewings, Cancer Research UK's tobacco control manager, confirmed