Information AboutHookah |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT HOOKAH | |
| arabic culture | |
| persian culture | |
| arabic words and phrases | |
| indian culture | |
| tobacco | |
| pipe smoking | |
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A hookah is a traditional Middle East ern or Asia n Device For Smoking , which operates by water-filtration and indirect heat. ETYMOLOGY Depending on locality, hookahs are known variously as a water pipe, '''nargeela/nargile/narghile/nargileh''', '''argeela/arghileh''', '''shisha/sheesha''', '''okka''', '''kalyan''', '''ghelyoon or ghalyan''', or '''hubble-bubble/hubbly-bubbly'''. Many of these names are of Indian, Turkish, Uzbek, Persian or Arab origin. "Narghile" is from the word ''shishe'' (literally translated as "glass" and not bottle). "Hashishe" is also an Arabic word for grass, which may have been another way of saying tobacco. "Hookah" itself may stem from Arabic ''uqqa'', meaning small box, pot, or jar. Both names refer to the original methods of constructing the smoke/water chamber part of the hookah. "Narghile" is the name most commonly used in Turkey , Lebanon , Syria , Jordan , Greece and Israel , though the initial "n" is often dropped in Arabic. "Shisha" is more commonly seen in Egypt . In Iran it is called Ghalyoun Or Ghalyan and in Pakistan and India it is referred to as ''huqqa''. The archaic form of this latter name, ''hookah'' is most commonly used in English for historical reasons, as it was in India that large numbers of English-speakers first sampled the delights of the water pipe. William Hickey wrote in his Journal shortly after his arrival in Calcutta in 1775: "The most highly-dressed and splendid hookah was prepared for me. I tried it, but did not like it. As after several trials I still found it disagreeable, I with much gravity requested to know whether it was indispensibly necessary that I should become a smoker, which was answered with equal gravity, 'Undoubtedly it is, for you might as well be out of the world as out of the fashion. Here everybody uses a hookah, and it is impossible to get on without'..... {Link without Title} have frequently heard men declare they would much rather be deprived of their dinner than their hookah." ''Memoirs of William Hickey'' (London: Hurst & Blackett) Vol.II (1918) p136 DESIGN AND FUNCTION . The green glass is the base, the pipe is the metallic tube above the base, the hose is the black and silver coil, and the bowl is hidden by a wind guard. A pair of tongs, for holding the coal during lighting, rest on the tray.]] Hookahs are water pipes, but are not intended for the use of marijuana. There are four fundamental parts of a hookah: # the base or '''smoke chamber''', which is partially filled with water # the bowl or '''head''', which contains the Tobacco ; the heating apparatus is placed on top # the pipe, which connects the bowl to the base by a tube that plunges into the water # the hose, which connects to a second tube in the pipe that does ''not'' plunge into the water, but only the air of the smoke chamber These basic parts do not vary in function; naturally, there are any number of decorations or subtle variations in form. The heating apparatus is usually Charcoal , but in Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf , electric heaters are common. The charcoal is usually placed on a metal mesh or perforated Aluminium Foil , but these are often omitted to produce a more dense smoke. The hose may or may not be detachable — simple hookahs simply have a tube into the air of the smoke chamber; elaborate hookahs have three or more hoses in a single chamber, with filters attached at one or both ends of the hose. Traditionally, hookahs have been ornately decorated. Some more modern hookah designs bear little resemblance to their ancestors. In general, traditional and modern hookahs have a very distinctive appearance and bear similarities to the ritually-used American Indian Peace Pipe . When a smoker inhales through the tube, a pressure difference forces air past the coal, heating the tobacco, which gives off smoke; the smoke is pulled away from the tobacco, through the water, and into the air of the smoke chamber — whence it is inhaled by the smoker. Passing through the water partially filters Tar and Nicotine from the tobacco smoke, in addition to cooling it. Tobacco The most commonly-used hookah tobaccos (known as ''tobamel'' or ''maassel'') are produced using a 1:2 mixture of shredded Tobacco leaf mixed in with a sweetener such as Honey , Molasses or semi-dried Fruit . Originally, tobacco was mixed with one of these sweeteners to form ''jurâk'' (e.g. Zhaghoul brand), a flavorless, moistened tobacco. The now-popular, fruit-flavored hookah tobaccos got their start in the late 1980s when Egyptian tobacco companies began experimenting with flavored tobacco as a way to sell more of their products to women. Due to the popularity of flavored hookah tobaccos, many modern manufacturers have begun to use Glycerin as the primary sweetener in hookah tobaccos because of its Humectant qualities and subtle sweetening properties that accentuate the various tobacco flavorings. Today, shisha tobacco is often mixed with dried fruit, natural extracts and artificial flavorings to produce a varying assortment of tobacco flavors, such as Apple , double and triple apple, Strawberry , Mango , Cappuccino , Vanilla , Coconut , Cherry , Grape , Banana , kiwi, blueberry, tuti fruity, Arabian coffee, mixed fruit, Cola , Lemon , Apricot , Licorice , and Mint , which has a cooling effect on the throat. This proliferation of flavors is rather new, starting perhaps in the mid- 1990s . CULTURE The design of a hookah allows for multiple hoses to lead to a single filtration chamber; this simplifies use by groups. Too many hoses, however, reduces suction, and smokers may have to cover their mouthpiece while not in use (ball bearings can fix this problem). Multi-hose hookahs are particularly popular in the Western World , where hookah smoking is a social phenomenon. They are not as common in Asia and Africa . In Arab society, social smoking is done with a single hose: when the smoker is finished, either the hose is placed back on the table signifying that it is free, or it is handed from one user to the next, folded back on itself so that the mouthpiece does not point at the person receiving it. The receiver taps or slaps the giver on the back of the hand while taking it. In cafes or restaurants, however, it is common for each smoker to order an individual hookah. In Spain , the use of the hookah has been recently increasing in popularity, and they are usually readily available at tea-oriented Coffee houses, called "teterías" in Spanish, which often are run by Muslim immigrants or have some other sort of affinity with the East . Hookahs are usually sold at prices between 25 and 60 euros, and hookah tobacco and charcoal is easily found in those same coffee houses, or at stores run by eastern immigrants. Immigrants and native spanish alike enjoy this custom, and it's usually seen as a lighter way of smoking than cigarettes. Buying your own tobacco and hookah is, usually, noticeably less expensive than ordering hookahs at a coffee house. Hookahs are also becoming increasingly popular in Moscow . Many bars employ a "hookah man", invariably of middle-eastern appearance and wearing an approximation of arab or turkish costume, to bring the pipes to customers' tables and assist them in preparing and lighting the tobacco. A single hookah and hose are normally used; interchangeable plastic mouthpieces in sealed wrappings may be provided to each person at the table for hygiene reasons, but these are often ignored. In Israel , the hookah (most commonly referred to as a nargilah (nargeela)) is prevalent among Israeli Arabs and Jewish Immigrants from places like Yemen , Iran , Iraq and Turkey . Usage of the hookah is also popular in Israeli society at large where smoking is already a cultural norm. Hookahs can be found at some coffee houses, restaurants and more recently, at outdoor Concerts and Nightclubs . Some nightclubs even offer the option of renting hookahs. For example, patrons at club Vertigo near the port city of Haifa will often sit with friends on the lawns outside the club with a hookah in order to cool off from dancing to Psychedelic Trance . Hookah usage is also common in the Israeli home where families will commonly smoke after a large meal or at a family gathering but individual usage patterns will vary according to culture heritage and custom. In the United States , many city, state and federal jurisdictions have in more recent years moved to ban smoking in public places. Though most jurisdictions, through the purchase of a special permit, allow hookah businesses to remain open to the public, others do not. This has negatively affected many hookah lounges, bars and cafes and caused many to close their doors to the public. However, in many cases, hookah businesses have been able to remain in business by replacing their traditional, tobacco-based shisha with tobacco-free, herbal alternatives. Herbal and other tobacco-free alternatives have also become increasingly popular among health-conscious individuals. In Britain hookahs are, ironically, very rarely seen in Indian restaurants and are most commonly found in Lebanese Restaurants and Egyptian -run 'Hubbly-bubbly bars', where they are not known as hookahs. Concentrations of these hookah establishments are often found in close proximity to University campuses, as on Rusholme 's Curry Mile in Manchester or in Oxford , and they cater to a mixture of British and Middle-Eastern clientele amongst students. It is unclear how a forthcoming (April 2006) ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces in Britain will affect hookah-smoking. In Indonesia , the hookah or sheesha is getting more and more renowned, a popularity gained by restaurants and caffees in which they have a great atmosphere and also where they offer sheesha as a consumable. The Splash, is a place where sheesha has been gaining popularity since the year 2004. It is located in Kemang , south of Jakarta . STYLE AND HEALTH using a hookah ''(from Alice's Adventures In Wonderland )'']] A hookah's ability to produce pleasant, non-irritating smoke has led many to believe that hookah smoking is less detrimental to one's Health than most other methods of smoking tobacco, such as smoking Cigarette s. Unlike cigarettes, where smoke is produced by the ignition and burning of tobacco, hookahs produce a dense, flavorful smoke by heating moistened tobacco. Research has shown that fewer Cancer -causing Carcinogens are produced because the tobacco is heated, rather than burned. In addition to fewer carcinogens being produced, Nicotine production is reduced by the lower temperatures at which the tobacco is heated. Lower nicotine production, when compared to cigarettes, means addiction to tobacco among hookah smokers happens significantly less frequently — though this may be due to cultural views and other limiting factors, such as the time required to prepare a hookah for use. A review published in the medical journal ''Pediatrics''http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/eletters/116/1/e113 found that the concentration of cancer-causing and addictive substances in water-pipes may be equal to those found in cigarettes, with the heat involved being sufficient to generate co-authored a hookah study which found that a session of hookah smoking which lasts about 45 minutes, delivers 36 times more tar, 15 times more carbon monoxide and 70% more nicotine than a single cigarette. A study in the Journal Of Periodontology found that hookah smokers were five times more likely than non-smokers to have signs of gum disease. This is of concern to doctors in America as 45% of colleges and universities are located in close proximity to one or more hookah lounges. A study of Egyptian couples found an association between water-pipe smoking and Infertility . However, many objections to the methods used in these studies have been raised. None of the existing studies took into account past tobacco or other drug usage, so it is unclear what ill-effects were directly related to water-pipe smoking, as opposed to past cigarette usage. Quoting from one of the studies cited below, the quick-lighting charcoal used by many hookah smokers may be "the biggest hazard for hookah users" because it produces greater levels of Carbon Monoxide and other dangerous substances than all-natural, non-additive charcoal. The quick-lighting charcoal is produced by mixing powdered-charcoal with various chemicals that allow it to be quickly and easily ignited. Ignition of a quicklight coal normally results in the emission of sparks. CARE It is very important that the Hookah is taken care of. Cleaning should be a regular habit after smoking the Hookah. The tobacco is very sticky and the vapor from smoking it will stick to every surface inside of the Hookah. The bowl, stem, and bottle should be cleaned out with water or a clean rag after every use for a clean smoke. Every so often, it would be wise to carefully funnel warm water down the hoses. When the water comes out of the hose, it will be dark and look like Coffee . EXTERNAL LINKS SCIENTIFIC STUDIES & NOTES -CHAOUACHI Kamal. Shisha, hookah. Le narguilé au XXIème siècle. Bref état des connaissances scientifiques ''Narghile, Hookah in the 21st Century: An Overview of the Scientific Knowledge'' . Le Courrier des Addictions 2004 (Oct) ; 6 (4) : 150-2. {Link without Title} (Full English translation provided) -(Same Author). Presentazione del narghilè e del suo uso. Guida critica della letteratura scientifica sul narghilè (shisha, hookah, waterpipe). Dalle origini ai giorni nostri : necessità di un approccio interdisciplinare socio-antropologico, medico e farmacologico. ''A critical review of scientific literature on narghile (Shisha, Hookah, Waterpipe) from its origins to date: the need for a comprehensive socio-anthropological, medical and pharmacological approach'' . Tabaccologia 2005; 1: 39-47. {Link without Title} (includes English abstract) -(Same Author). Narghile: aspetti chimici e farmacofisiologici ''Biochemical and Pharmacologic Aspects of Narghile'' . Tabaccologia. 2005; 3: 27-33. {Link without Title} (includes English abstract) -(Same Author). Patologie associate all’uso del narghile. ''Narghile-Related Diseases'' . Tabaccologia 2006;1:27-34. {Link without Title} (includes English abstract) All above studies and others are available from ''Tabaccologia'', the official site of the Italian Society of Tobaccology {Link without Title} |
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