A heart charity today warned people in Bradford of the dangers of shisha on national No Smoking Day after research revealed a surge in the number of shisha bars in Bradford.

The district has seen a near six-fold increase in the number of shisha lounges over the last five years. There are known to be 17 lounges, up from the three which were operating in 2007.

The Freedom of Information data, released by Bradford Council, following a request from The British Heart Foundation, has prompted the charity to issue a warning about the dangers of inhaling the flavoured tobacco through waterpipes. 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.

“Fortunately No Smoking Day is a great opportunity for anyone who smokes, in whatever form, to try to quit.”

An NHS Airedale, Bradford and Leeds spokesman said: “Shisha smoking carries many of the same health risks associated with cigarettes, including cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease and adverse affects during pregnancy.

“Despite the misconceptions it is not a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes. We are concerned by the number of shisha lounges in Bradford and Airedale.”

The key health risks are: * a typical one-hour-long shisha smoking session involves inhaling 100–200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette * flavoured tobacco is smoked over coals and fumes from these fuels add new toxins to the dangerous smoke * secondhand smoke poses a serious risk for non-smokers, particularly because it contains smoke not only from the tobacco but also from the heat source, such as charcoal * the risk of cross infection from shared pipe such as TB and hepatitis.