RIYADH, 5 January 2006 — Though water pipes, or shishas, are widely viewed as a safer way to smoke, they may be as damaging as cigarettes to the veins, hearts, teeth and gums, as well as many other vital organs, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Periodontology. The study, whose findings have been supported by local doctors, said that the carbon monoxide, nicotine, tar and heavy metals in the smoke pose often-ignored health threats, including cancer and cardiac problems.