One hour on shisha pipe as harmful as 100 fags

London, March 14 (ANI): Smoking a trendy shisha pipe for one hour is as damaging to health as 100 cigarettes, experts have warned.

The warning from the British Heart Foundation comes as it was revealed the number of shisha bars in the UK has trebled from 179 when the smoking ban was introduced in 2007 to 556 now, the Sun reported.

More than one in four people aged between 18 and 24 have tried inhaling flavoured tobacco through waterpipes.

And 44 per cent thought it was less harmful than cigarettes - with 15 per cent believing there was no risk at all.

The charity released the figures to mark No Smoking Day.

Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, warned users: "Don't be duped by the sweet smell and wholesome sounding fruity flavours. If you use shisha you are a smoker.

"There are added risks because you're also exposed to toxins from wood or charcoal used to burn the tobacco," he said. (ANI)