Hookah addiction and singing!

Does smoking affect singing?

I've had this discussion with a couple of my friends. My good friends Maynard and Eslam both believe that smoking doesn't affect singing. In fact, many vocalists do smoke and sing beautifully. For me, however, its a different story. I am an avid hookah smoker and I've tried to quit so many times but so far I couldn't beat the addiction. The problem isn't just addiction (which some argue isn't that drastic compared to cigis) but I've also developed a psychological dependence on it and quite frankly I love its taste and to smoke generally.

The problem is my chest hurts now. My lungs create sputum and I have a horrible shortness of breath. That is neither good for singing nor anything else of course. I've noticed that after 5 weeks of total smoking cessation, my lung capacity has increased drastically and my range expanded. May be some smokers haven't gone through my experience yet and may be they won't.

I recommend trying to stop smoking or not starting at all if you want to improve your vocaling. Damn, why are many good things in life harmful? Oh well ... There you have it!