For those of you who do not know, there has been a thing going around called Hookah. It is controversial in the sense that it contains tobacco but very little (2 percent). Believe it or not there are actually restaurants that offer this.

Here is an image of what you smoke this out of:

At the top of the pipe is where the coal goes. In the stem of the structure is where you put the tobacco. The tobacco actually comes in flavored packets like apple. Many people speculate that it is as bad as a cigarette but studies show that it actually produces little to no effect on the human body

Please discuss your thoughts on this as I would would like to know what others think of this.

snotboogie

Australia3550 Posts

June 29 2011 01:41 GMT

This is about as far from "new" as you can get. It's actually a big part of Middle Eastern culture and is reasonably popular around the areas where those communities live.

I think inhaling any form of smoke into your lungs is a bad idea health-wise, but I've had some good times with hookah. It can be a very chill way to spend a night with friends. I wouln't recommend doing it every night though.

Also I would like for you to provide a link to these studies you speak of because I remember doing my own research and the ones I found concluded that hookah is actually worse for your health than cigarettes.

garlicface

Canada4196 Posts

June 29 2011 01:42 GMT

Scientists claim it's just as dangerous as cigarettes. Friends and others who smoke shisha say it's perfectly safe.

Got a laugh at you calling it a "new thing" going around.

I personally can't comment too much about it - I refuse to smoke anything and everything.

Fragmaaad

United States123 Posts

June 29 2011 01:43 GMT

On June 29 2011 10:41 snotboogie wrote:
This is about as far from "new" as you can get. It's actually a big part of Middle Eastern culture and is reasonably popular around the areas where those communities live.

I think inhaling any form of smoke into your lungs is a bad idea health-wise, but I've had some good times with hookah. It can be a very chill way to spend a night with friends. I wouln't recommend doing it every night though.

I don;t mean new in the sense that it was just invented, but in our culture it is not exactly well known.

ComaDose

Canada10357 Posts

June 29 2011 01:43 GMT

you dont smoke hookah
you smoke shisha out of a hookah, not tobacco
this new thing was around before christ walked the earth.

Fragmaaad

United States123 Posts

June 29 2011 01:44 GMT

Edited OP about the new thing...Jeez haha

Empyrean

16982 Posts

June 29 2011 01:46 GMT

Wikipedia doesn't seem to think so:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hookah#Health_effects

nicknt

185 Posts

June 29 2011 01:47 GMT

i dunno how safe it is but me and my college buds go to a hookah bar from time to time, one of my friends even has one in his apartment, give it a try, u only live once ;p.

Fragmaaad

United States123 Posts

June 29 2011 01:47 GMT

On June 29 2011 10:46 Empyrean wrote:
Wikipedia doesn't seem to think so:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hookah#Health_effects

A study on hookah smoking and cancer in Pakistan was published in 2008.[28] Its objective was "to find serum CEA levels in ever/exclusive hookah smokers, i.e. those who smoked only hookah (no cigarettes, bidis, etc.)."The study showed no statistically significant difference between CEA levels in a hookah smoker and a non-smoker, while levels of cigarette smokers were comparatively raised.

PassiveAce

United States18076 Posts

June 29 2011 01:49 GMT

#10

The only time Iv used Hookah was when I was in Cairo, I don't ever smoke cigarette's and I dont like tobacco but it was nice to have a nice flavored smoke after a meal. I can't vouch for its health effects but it doesnt seem like something that would be used very often anyway (like cigarettes).

Kaal

Djibouti2514 Posts

June 29 2011 01:55 GMT

#11

On June 29 2011 10:36 Fragmaaad wrote:
Please discuss your thoughts on this as I would would like to know what others think of this.

My thoughts on it are that it's FUCKING AWESOME. I love hookah, and love smoking shisha. I frequently go to hookah bars and just recently purchased my fifth hookah and consider myself a collector as I love to get odd/different/new/rare hookah types

Fragmaaad

United States123 Posts

June 29 2011 01:58 GMT

#12

On June 29 2011 10:55 Kaal wrote:

Show nested quote +

You sir, are a GOD.

endy

Switzerland8970 Posts

June 29 2011 02:02 GMT

#13

Wikipedia's article is incomplete.

The smoke from hookah also contains smaller particles than in cigarettes and these are very harmful. Another thing is that the combustion reaction is more often incomplete so it yields higher rates of CO than cigarettes.

FragKrag

United States11552 Posts

June 29 2011 02:06 GMT

#14

I smoked a lot of Hookah with friends last year. We probably 'hookahed' like at least once a day for 3-4 weeks and I can tell you that it did affect my lung capacity negatively (like any smoke I suppose). Hookah isn't 2% tobacco, it just has a much lower nicotine content (though some shisha does have normal amounts of nicotine so be careful).

As far as other health concerns go, I've heard things about how water supposedly 'filters' tar or carcinogens out of the hookah smoke, but people say the same things about bongs and it isn't true for bongs. The only real health benefit that hookah/shisha has vs tobacco I suppose is that you really can't get addicted to hookah because of the lack of nicotine. A hookah bowl is supposedly a lot of tobacco, but I have no desire whatsoever to smoke cigarettes/hookah, and haven't touched a tobacco product in months.

That said, hookah is a really fun way to spend a chill evening with friends. Smoke tricks, idle conversation, and music didn't really come together all that much unless there was a hookah hose being passed around

If you start hookahing though, check this flavor out
[image loading]

one of my favorites. It's kind of on the expensive side. Fusion is a cheaper brand (in my experience), but is very good as well.

Rotodyne

United States2263 Posts

June 29 2011 02:11 GMT

#15

Haha, 2% tobacco. Your friend told you that right? Hookah sessions can be hours long...inhaling smoke over and over is not good for you.

RndmGdNck

United States60 Posts

June 29 2011 02:12 GMT

#16

I've only smoked non-tobacco hookah/shisha and it was amazing

actually now im not sure if it did but it was fun and interesting and want to go do it again atleast once with friends again.

UisTehSux

United States693 Posts

June 29 2011 02:16 GMT

#17

Of course it's unhealthy, any form of smoking is. But you don't necessarily have to inhale the smoke. Not inhaling will significantly reduce any health side effects, but either way you look at it, smoking anything in any form will be unhealthy for you to some extent.

Fragmaaad

United States123 Posts

June 29 2011 02:19 GMT

#18

On June 29 2011 11:16 UisTehSux wrote:
Of course it's unhealthy, any form of smoking is. But you don't necessarily have to inhale the smoke. Not inhaling will significantly reduce any health side effects, but either way you look at it, smoking anything in any form will be unhealthy for you to some extent.

Um, what other way could you do it other than inhaling the smoke? Haha >_>

FragKrag

United States11552 Posts

June 29 2011 02:29 GMT

#19

On June 29 2011 11:19 Fragmaaad wrote:

Show nested quote +

Um, what other way could you do it other than inhaling the smoke? Haha >_>

If you suck the right way, you can get most of the smoke to swirl around in your mouth somewhat like how people smoke cigars.

Just suck in slowly and use the 'front' of your throat instead of trying to take deep inhales.

emperorchampion

Canada9496 Posts

June 29 2011 02:29 GMT

#20

There are a fair number of Hookah bars around Montreal, and gone once with a group of friends, didn't really like it. I'm personally not against it, as I see nothing wrong with it-- it's just not something that I really enjoyed. Essentially with a lot of alcohol it just turns into one massive group make out session from my experience.