There are some activities in the world that on the surface seem pretty harmless, and we assume there isn't really a way of messing that activity up. But in reality, what we might not know could be really dangerous.
Though there are a range of opinions surrounding various smoking activities, most view smoking hookah as fairly harmless as long as proper precautions, like ventilation, are exercised.
But as TikToker @THEmarieerachelle recently discovered, smoking hookah could become dangerous depending on the products you use, as well.
In a short viral video she shared that she and her wound up in the ER with carbon monoxide after partaking.
In a follow-up video, the TikToker explained what happened that led up to the events of her first video.
In an effort to cheer her up after a bad breakup, three of the TikToker's friends came over with cake, drinks, and an "orange head," which is an orange that has been cut in half and filled with specialty tobacco at the center. Once placed in a closed container, hot coals are to be placed on top to heat the orange and tobacco, and the smoke emanating from the orange can then be smoked.
@THEmarieerachelle already had experience with this, so while they were smoking in her apartment, she was sure to keep her balcony door open to allow fresh air into her home, while also running a fan and air purifier.
After a few hours, she closed the balcony door because she and her friends were getting cold as it was a fall Michigan night. And that's when the trouble really began.
After smoking and drinking for five hours, one of the TikToker's three friends complained of not feeling well and said she had developed a headache. The group assumed she had smoked or drank too much and encouraged her to lie down so she'd feel better.
But another hour or so later, the remaining two friends started to complain of headaches as well, and @THEmarieerachelle began to feel sick and develop a headache. Right after the TikToker's head started to hurt, her apartment's carbon monoxide detector started to ding. It was at that time they decided to call 9-1-1 for assistance.
After the four women explained to the responders what had happened, they tested the apartment and found the air was at a nearly lethal level of carbon monoxide and began to air out the space to bring it back down to normal levels.
They also tested the women's carbon monoxide levels. The TikToker was at a level of 17, with 20 being lethal, and her friends' levels were similar. Because they weren't sure about their insurance covering all of them for a ride in an ambulance, they called one of their boyfriends to drive them to the hospital while the first responders continued to monitor the carbon monoxide levels in the apartment.
The four women spent several hours at the hospital receiving oxygen to help level out their conditions. Upon returning home, the apartment was fine and the carbon monoxide detector was in working order—and other than residual headaches, the women were not expected to experience any other side effects.
You can watch the video here:
TikToker @THEmarieerachelle explained that she wanted to put this story out there because she wanted other people to be more informed about what could happen than she had been.
She mentioned several times that she and her friends "really could have died" if they stayed in the apartment or kept smoking for much longer, or if they had tried to deal with the situation without involving 9-1-1 or hospital care.
Some were shocked by what had happened and were thankful for the TikToker's public service announcement.
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Others shared their own scary encounters with smoking hookah.
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Some were simply grateful that all four women turned out to be okay.
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When it comes to smoking options, most don't think twice about potentially dangerous side effects or situations when it comes to smoking hookah, but it's clear that there are still things that could go wrong.
If we've learned anything from this story, it's the importance of ventilation, using naturally occurring coals instead of coal that contains higher levels of carbon monoxide, and maybe not smoking for such a long period of time.
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