BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Although more scientific research is necessary, the World Health Organization said Tuesday in Geneva that water-pipe smoking may pose the same health risks as cigarettes.

    "Using a water pipe to smoke tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarette smoking," the U.N. health agency said in a seven-page document on the practice. "Contrary to ancient lore and popular belief, the smoke that emerges from a water pipe contains numerous toxicants known to cause lung cancer, heart disease and other diseases."

    The WHO "advisory note" warned using water pipes to consume the tobacco usually exposes a person to more smoke over a longer period of time than do cigarettes. Preliminary research suggests hookah smoking poses many of the same dangers as cigarettes and may involve "some unique health risks," the agency said.

    A hookah is a bowl connected to a vase of water with a long tube and mouthpiece. The tobacco sits inside the bowl with a layer of foil and a hot coal on top. The tobacco is never lit, instead heated by the charcoal, which smokers say produces a vapor different from smoke.

    The hookah, used for centuries in North Africa, the Middle East and Central and South Asia, has become increasingly popular in the United States, Europe and Brazil, particularly among college students and young adults.

    WHO says the trend is partly due to "unfounded assumptions" of its safety, and misleading commercial marketing.

    (Agencies)