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drugs
whats with people and the obsession with hookah nowadays? isnt it as bad as cigarettes? it seems like group smoke or something with a giant bong except its not for mj. any info about this would be appreciated. where do people get this stuff and what is put into it?
(for research project at school - i will get facts online but i need like info from people in the know about their school surroundings and who i hang out with dont do this or know about this stuff) thanks!
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Want to answer more questions in the Health & Fitness category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Health?
A reason that it is so popular is because unlike
cigarrettes, it isn't addicting. Also, it's a
social event, and a good way to have fun with
friendss.
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The Hookah.
First question, the obsession.
Trends, my friend. Often times, a person or group of people will start doing something. Others, seeing this action, might want to take part. So they imitate. Others imitate them. And before you know it, the Hookah and Hookah bars have become the next big thing in what you want to do when you hang out.
Its just whats popular right now.
Now, what is a hookah. As mentioned below, its a water filtration device, very similar to a bong.
It has a large bowl on the top, meant for Shisha. Shisha is the term used for tobacco that has been treated with various compounds that will introduce a "flavor" to the smoke. People make Shisha that tastes like all kinds of things. Fruit, candy, whatever.
Hookahs are heated by a coal. Usually its a circular charcoal on top of the bowl that stays lit for long periods and allows you to burn for as long as an hour before changing.
As to how bad it is for you. Shisha, because it is treated with chemicals, produces a fair bit more carcinogens than tobacco smoke. Now, the water does filter some of these out, so per Cubic Meter Shisha smoke is lighter than cigarette smoke.
But, smoking a hookah is worse for your lungs. Why?
When smoking a cigarette, it can be fairly harsh. Chainsmoking a few cigarettes could take 15 minutes but would leave your throat hurting, more than likely.
Because of the water, a hookah's smoke is far less harsh on the throat. This means that when smoking a hookah, you can take a deeper breath and draw more smoke into your lungs. It also means you can smoke longer.
The combination of the two of these means that smoking a hookah, as far as cancer and nicotine are concerned, is just as bad for you IF you only smoke it as long as you smoke a cigarette. Studies on hookah state that over the course of an hour, smoking a hookah with friends can be as bad as smoking an entire pack of cigarettes or more.
So, overall, because of the way its designed to be smoked, hookah's are actually worse for you than cigarettes.
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A hookah is a water bong - the water dulls the smoke and it's not nearly as harsh as cigarette smoke. It's also minus the carcinogens that cigarettes have in them, provided you're smoking tobacco out of it, as most people do. That's the social thing, anyway. There's no tar, and no random additives, it's just tobacco plant, molasses, and flavoring.
If you go to a hookah bar with a whole bunch of people, smoking hookah really isn't as bad for you as cigarettes at all. Yes, it's smoke, and no, smoke isn't good for you ever, but you smoke less with more people.
Anyway, hookah tobacco is sold at any smoke shop around. You can buy hookahs at smoke shops, too, or some middle-eastern shops. There are teeny ones that are for one person, and big ones that are for a lot of people that come with as many as four hoses, I think, and ones in the middle, too.
Wikipedia is a great place to find more info, and if you're eighteen grab a couple friends and go try it - google hookah bars around your area. Experience is great research.
(Not that I'm condoning smoking, but trying hookah once for the purpose of research sounds like a good idea to me. It's relaxing, you can get kind of a smoke buzz that lasts like five minutes, and it tastes good.)
Good luck!
-Siren =)
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You can smoke either marijuana or tabaco in a hookah. You can get them at headshops. I have never smoked out of one so i don't have much information but i hope i helped.
Kayla
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