(Redirected from Hookahs)
A 'hookah' (
Hindustani: हुक़्क़ा / حقّہ ''huqqa'') is a single or multi-stemmed, often glass-based, water pipe device for smoking; originating in
India,
[1][2] it gained fame in the
Arab World when it traveled from
Persia to
Arabia. A hookah operates by water-filtration and indirect heat. It can be used for smoking many substances, such as herbal fruits and
tobacco. Depending on locality, hookahs are known as other names, such as a 'shisha/sheesha', 'water pipe', 'nargeela/nargile/narghile/nargileh/narguilé', 'argeela/arghileh/arguilé', 'okka', 'qalyan/kalyan/ghalyan/
ghelyoon' or 'gewat suckre'. Many of these names are of Arab, Indian, Turkish, Uzbek, or Persian origin. ''Narghile'' (نارگيله) is from the
Persian word ''nārgil'' (نارگیل) or "coconut", and in
Sanskrit ''nārikela'' (नारीकेल) and it was made out of coconut shells.
[3] 'Shisha' (شيشة) is from the Persian word ''shishe'' (شیشه, literally translated as ''glass'' and not bottle), and is primarily used for water pipes in Egypt and the Arab countries of the Gulf (such as
Kuwait,
Bahrain,
UAE, and
Saudi Arabia). ''Hashish'' (حشيش) is an Arabic word for grass(marijuana), which may have been another way of saying
cannabis resin. Another source states, "In early Arabic texts, the term ''hashish'' referred not only to cannabis resin but also to the dried leaves or flower heads and
sweetmeats made with them".
[4] ''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.
'' Arghile'' or ''Narghile'' is the name most commonly used in
Lebanon,
Syria,
Iraq,
Jordan,
Turkey,
Albania,
Greece,
Israel,
Bulgaria and
Romania, though the initial "n" is often dropped in Arabic. ''Shisha'' is more commonly seen in
Egypt,
Bahrain,
Kuwait,
Morocco,
Qatar,
Tunisia,
Saudi Arabia,
Somalia and
Yemen. In
Iran it is called ''ghalyoun'' or ''ghalyan'' (قليان) and in
India and
Pakistan it is referred to as ''huqqa'' (हुक़्क़ा حقّہ). The archaic form of this latter
Indian 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 effects of the water pipe.
William Hickey wrote in his ''Memoirs'' that shortly after his arrival in
Calcutta in 1775:
Culture
Middle East
Arab world
In the
Arab world, social smoking is done with a single or double 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. Stories tell
Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar thought of it as an insult but there are no official facts. Another tradition is that the receiver taps or slaps the giver on the back of the hand while taking it as a sign of respect or friendship.
In cafés and restaurants, however, it is rare for each smoker not to order an individual hookah, as the price is generally lower, ranging from $2 to $10.
Most cafés (called ''maqha''— Arabic: مقهى, "coffeeshop") in the Middle East have hookahs available. Cafés are very widespread, and are amongst the main social gathering places in the Arab world (similar to the status
pubs have in the UK).
Iran
In
Iran, the hookah is known as a '''ghelyoon''' (Persian: قليان). It is similar in many ways to the Arabic hookah but has its own unique attributes. An example is the top part of the Hookah called 'sar' (Persian: سر=head) where the tobacco is placed and is bigger than the ones we see in Turkey. Also the major part of the hose is flexible and covered with soft silk or cloth while the Turkish make the wooden part as big as the flexible part.
There are mouthpieces called Amjid (امجید) that each person has his own personal one, usually made of wood or metal and decorated with valuable or other stones. Amjids are only used for their fancy look. However, all the Hookah Bars have plastic mouth-pieces.
Use of water pipes in Iran can be traced back to the
Qajar period. In those days the hoses were made of sugar cane. Persians had a special tobacco called ''Khansar'' (خانسار, presumably name of the origin city). The charcoals would be put on the Khansar without foil. Khansar has less smoke than the normal tobacco.
The hookah was, until recently, served to all ages; Iranian officials have since passed a law forbidding its use by those under 14.
Turkey
In
Turkey, nargile is done on a social basis, usually in one's home with guests or in a cafe with friends. Most cities have nargile cafes where nargile is offered with a non-alcoholic drink. This is mainly for health reasons rather than religious reasons. Often people will smoke nargile after dinner as a replacement for cigarettes. In bigger cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and Adana, restaurants may have dinner & nargile specials which includes meal, beverage (alcoholic/non-alcoholic), Turkish coffee and nargile.
In certain parts of the country people use nargile cafes to watch popular TV shows, national sports games, etc. and smoke nargile to socialize.
Once the centre of Istanbul’s social and political life, the narghile, or Turkish water pipe, today is considered by the locals one of life’s great pleasures.
Israel
In Israel, the hookah is prevalent among Middle Eastern Jewish immigrants from Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Yemen (collectively known as Mizrahi Jews). Hookah use is also common in the Arab home where families will commonly smoke after a large meal or at a family gathering. Many Jewish families have also adopted this custom, although individual usage patterns vary according to culture heritage and custom. Hookahs are becoming increasingly popular within Israel particularly among tourists. Shops selling paraphernalia can be found on most high streets and markets. Most nightclubs also have hookahs. In 2005, due to an increase in use among youth, a campaign has been launched by The Israel Cancer Association warning against the hazards of hookah smoking, and the IDF has forbidden the use of hookahs by soldiers within its bases.
Other Asian countries
India
Indian man holding a hookah.
In the
Indian subcontinent the hookah is becoming better known, and cafés and restaurants that offer it as a consumable are popular. The use of hookahs from ancient times in India was not only a custom, but a matter of prestige. Rich and landed classes would smoke hookahs. Tobacco is smoked in hookahs in many villages as per traditional customs. Smoking molasses in a hookah is now becoming popular amongst the youth in
India. It is a growing trend amongst youngsters and adolescents. There are several chain clubs, Bars and coffee shops (such as Mocha) in India offering a variety of hookah.
The new trends emerging are that of non-tobacco hookahs with herbal flavours. Several modern restaurants are famous for this.
Indonesia
In
Indonesia, Hookah is considered safe because the hookah in most cafe, Hookah is mixed with the oxygen. A lot of teenagers tried hookah in Indonesia, their parents have know that is safe to smoke Hookah. In Indonesia, Hookah is known as Shisha. To make the Shisha feels good, Indonesian people use the brand
Al Fakher. Hookah is known to be coation and also does not effect people with any side or direct effect which may cause damages.
Pakistan
In
Pakistan, hookahs have become very popular in the cosmopolitan cities. The Hookah or Sheesha craze hit
Karachi and the rest of Pakistan following the opening of
Damascus Restaurant in 1999. Many clubs and cafes are offering them and it has become quite popular amongst the youth and students in Pakistan. This form of smoking has become very popular for social gatherings, functions, and events. There are a large number of cafes, restaurants, and chill out places offering a variety of sheesha and hookahs.
Malaysia
Malaysia too has seen an increase in sheesha use and cafes offering sheesha pipes.
[5] In the
Philippines, the popularity is vastly growing, in the capital's most cosmopolitan city, Makati; various high-end bars and clubs offer hookahs to patrons. In
Afganistan, hookah has been popular, especially in
Kabul, for some time. "Chillam", as is called the Afghan narghile.
Although hookah use has been common for hundreds of years and enjoyed by people of all ages, it has just begun to become a youth-oriented pastime in Asia in recent times. Hookahs are most popular with college students and teenagers, who may be underage and thus unable to purchase
cigarettes.
[6]
United States and Canada
Main articles: hookah lounge
In the
United States and
Canada, many cities, state/provincial 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 caused many
hookah lounges and bars to close their doors to the public. In many cases, hookah businesses have been able to remain in business by replacing their traditional, tobacco-based maasel with tobacco-free, herbal alternatives. In
New York City, where there is a strong smoking ban, hookah bars have managed to remain open in Little Egypt, Astoria, Queens, despite complaints from local residents.
[7] A reason that hookah bars are able to stay open even though there are smoking bans (such as in NYC) is because hookah bars are designated smoking locals. In such, a person attending a hookah bar knows and accepts this before entering. In a regular bar for example, you may not want to smoke, but simply just drink.
There remains an attachment to Shisha bars/coffee shops in cities with large Arab/Middle-eastern populations such as
Montreal in Canada.
Hookah bars or cafés are showing up throughout the United States, especially near college campuses in cities with large Arab and Middle-Eastern populations. When searching online hookah bar directories (such as
HookahCrazy.com) you can see how clustered among big university cities the hookah bars really are.
Many people purchase hookahs and set them in their back yards. These are commonly known among most youth as "chill zones."
Europe
In
Spain, the use of the hookah has been recently increasing in popularity, and they are usually readily available at tea-oriented
coffeehouses, called ''teterías'' in Spanish, which often are run by Arab immigrants or have some other sort of affinity with the
east. Hookahs are usually sold at prices between €10 and €70, 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 is usually seen as a lighter way of smoking than cigarettes. Buying one's own tobacco and hookah is usually noticeably less expensive than ordering hookahs at a coffee house.
Hookahs are also becoming increasingly popular in
Moscow and other Russian cities. Many bars employ a "hookah man" or "niam" which is commonly pronounced "ni-eem" (Rus. кальянщик tr. kal'yanshchik), often of middle-eastern appearance and wearing an approximation of Arab or Turkish costume, to bring the pipes to customers' tables and wrappings may be provided to each person at the table for hygiene reasons.
Hookahs are popular as well in
Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. All the youth hookah fashion looks the same way it looks in Russia.
Indian restaurants but are most commonly found in
Lebanese restaurants and
Egyptian-run "hubbly-bubbly" bars. 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 clientel amongst students. A ban on public smoking was enacted in Scotland in 2006, and a similar ban has taken effect in England on July 1st 2007. Hookah bars have since been closed, as there is a complete ban of smoking in enclosed public areas; however, some businesses have remained open, functioning as normal cafés.
Hookah smoking has also risen in popularity in
Germany, particularly in
Berlin and Cologne, where many hookah bars exist due in part to a relatively large
Turkish population. Hookahs are also very easy to acquire. During the 2006 World Cup, many booths in the area outside of the Zoologischer Garten Bahnhof specialized in selling the water-pipes and flavored tobacco. In addition, many people create homemade hookahs due to the relative ease of construction and the high cost of a quality pipe. Hooka (locally called Shisha) bars are even commonly found in towns with just 100,000 inhabitants.
In
Italy, hookah bars are still not so common, but their number is increasing, as hookah smoking is not involved in laws about smoking in public places
In
Sweden, hookah smoking is on the rise. Cheap hookahs and hookah-related products, like tobacco and charcoal, are now available in the many kiosk-like businesses run by immigrants, mostly of middle-eastern origin, found in the larger cities. Hookahs are mostly used by teenagers and immigrants, but the use is slowly becoming more widespread. Hookah bars and similar establishments are still very rare though, in part due to anti-smoking laws which forbids smoking in restaurants and in public buildings.
In the
Czech republic, hookah is relatively common in many
tearooms (usually cost between 100 and 150
CZK). Hookash are usually sold in specialided orient-shops and tearooms at prices mostly between 500 and 2500 CZK. Local names for hookah are "šíša", "vodnice", "voďár", "vodní dýmka", etc …
Hookah ('vesipiip' in Estonian) has also gained major popularity in
Estonia, where it has caused contoversy amongst the troubled parents. Still, you can hardly find any party or (youth) gathering without a hookah.
South Africa
In
South Africa, hookah, colloquially known as a ''hubbly bubbly'', is popular amongst the
Cape Malay,
Indian population, where it is smoked as a social pastime.
[8] However, hookah is seeing increasing popularity with white South Africans, especially the youth. Hookah bars are relatively uncommon, and smoking is normally done at home or in public spaces such as beaches and picnic sites.
Mexico
In Mexico hookah bars have gained popularity in recent years, becoming a popular trend among young people. Some places are simply hookah cafes, while others are night-clubs offering hookah along with alcoholic beverages.
Structure and operation
Components
A look-through of the hookah's components
Excluding
grommets, a hookah is usually made of five components, four of which are essential for its operation
The bowl
Also known as the head of the hookah, the bowl is a container, usually made out of clay or marble, that holds the tobacco and coal during the smoking session.
Hose
The hose is a slender tube that allows the smoke to be drawn.
Body, Gasket, Valve
The body of the hookah is a hollow tube with a gasket at its bottom. The gasket itself has at least one opening for the hose. The gasket seals the connection of the body of the hookah with the water jar.
The gasket may have one more opening with a valve in it for clearing the smoke from the water jar not via the hose.
Damascene woodworkers creating wood for hookahs, 19th century.
Water jar
Placed at the bottom of the hookah, the water jar is a container which the smoke from the tobacco passes through before it reaches the hose. By passing through water, the smoke gains moisture. This makes inhaling the smoke of the hookah easier than a cigarette's. Also the water jar allegedly functions as a filter for the smoke. The level of the water has to be higher than the lowest point of the body's tube in order for the smoke to pass through it. Liquids other than water may be added, such as a strong mixture of alcohol and/or fruit juice.
The plate
The plate is usually just below the bowl and is used for "dead" coals from previous smoking sessions. It is not vital for the operation of the hookah.
Grommets
Grommets in a hookah are usually placed between the bowl and the body, the body's gasket and the water jar and between the body and the hose.
Operation
The jar at the bottom of the hookah is filled with water sufficient to submerge a few centimeters of the body tube, which is sealed tightly to it. Tobacco is placed inside the bowl at the top of the hookah and a burning charcoal is placed on top of the tobacco. Some cultures cover the bowl with perforated tin foil to separate the coal and the tobacco, which minimizes inhalation of coal ash with the smoke.
When one inhales via the hose, air is pulled through the coal and into the bowl. The air, hot from the charcoal, roasts, not burns, the tobacco, producing smoke. This smoke passes down through the body tube, which extends into the water in the jar. It bubbles up through the water and fills the top part of the jar, to which the hose is attached. When a smoker inhales from the hose, smoke passes into the lungs, and the change in pressure in the jar pulls more air through the charcoal, continuing the process.
The hookah's components must be sealed tightly with
grommets, or air which does not flow through the coal will dilute the smoke.
Tobacco
Hookah tobacco, as shown here, often has a damp and sticky appearance derived from the
honey or other sweeteners added.
Shisha
''Tobamel'' A sweet substance smoked in a hookah pipe, usually containing tobacco. Tobamel is legal in Canada and the United States. Due to its nicotine content, those who smoke it often experience a mild stimulating effect.
Maʿasel
''Maʿasel'', معسل, (as there are many ways of transliterating Arabic, the transliterated spelling of the word may vary), arabic for, literally, ''honeyed'', and is the name the "shisha tobacco" is labeled as by the arabic producers like Egyptian based
Nakhla Tobacco. Some arabs are mildly offended when you call it anything else.
Tumbâk
''Tumbâk'' is word of
Turkish origin and refers simply to tobacco, not necessarily flavored or sweetened. The
Persian word ''tumbeki'' and the
Hindi/
Urdu word ''Tumbako'' are similar.
Jurâk
''Jurâk'', mainly of Indian origin, might be considered as an intermediate substance between traditional sweetened tobaccos and the fruity hookah of modern times. The term applies both to a tobacco mixture that includes
fruits or
aromatic oils as well as tobacco that is just sweetened.
Flavours
Molasses tobacco is sold in a variety of flavours. Some of the flavours in which it is available are derived from the addition of artificial flavourings; other manufacturers shun these. A few of the flavours are based upon the scent of
flowers. Flavours include
vanilla,
coconut,
rose,
honey,
strawberry,
watermelon,
mint,
cherry,
orange,
apple,
apricot,
chocolate,
coffee,
grape,
peach, etc.
The Double-Apple (Persian:دوسیب,Do-Sib) is also a very popular flavour in the middle-east by the every day hookah-smokers because of the strength. But most two-apple tobacco seen in the U.S. stores are just apple flavour and aren't as strong.
Zaghloul is often served with a broken coal mixed into the hookah itself.
Merchandising
Hookah dealership in a
Cairo marketplace.
Some notable brands of flavored tobacco from include: Al Amir, Hookafina, ''Abajûra'', ''El-bâshâ'' , ''El-'Esfahâny'', ''En-nakhla'', ''Ibyâry'', ''Shîh 'el-beled'', ''Zeglûl''. All of these are
Egyptian except for ''Shîh 'el-beled'' which is
Tunisian.
This is in addition to Bahraini molasses such as Bahraini Apple (done by local firms, and adopted by huge international hookah molasses firms such as Al Nakhla as well), and Bahraini Zeglul, and UAE Based Al Fakher molasses, which is often softer in taste than the Egyptian molasses.
Today there are also numerous varieties produced in the
West with more coming to market each year.
Besides being sold in little packets as is
rolling tobacco, hookah is also sold in cardboard boxes and plastic jars. Packaging is generally illustrated with bright floral motifs, fruit, lush
gardens and romantic images of
sultans or
pashas.
The relative proportions of tobacco,
treacle, fruits and
spices, on average, 30%, 50% and 20% respectively. The substance is generally valid for two years; boxes usually indicate the production date. Health warnings about
lung cancer risks and
cardiovascular disease appear on these products similar to other tobacco products elsewhere in the world.
Some manufacturers like Soex produce tobacco-free flavored
herbal blends and market these as shisha as well. These herbal blends typically advertise themselves as having no tar and nicotine, thus a safer alternative that is still enjoyable.
Other Distributors provide tobacco-based flavored blends as well as a variety of hookahs.
Style and health
Health benefits and risks
Research suggests that a session of hookah tobacco smoking (tobacco molasses) which lasts 45 minutes delivers slightly more
tar and
carbon monoxide (around 5-10%) than a packet of cigarettes.
[9] This study has, however, come under criticism for using unrealistically high temperatures for the tobacco (600-650 degrees C) and using arbitrary figures for tar filtration rates. This could possibly have skewed results, as the
carcinogenic and toxin levels of smoke increases dramatically with temperature (Wynder 1958). Common practice is to keep temperatures to degrees which do not "char" the hookah; that is within a temperature range of 100-150 C. (Chaouachi K: Patologie associate all'uso del narghile). The effects of these lower temperatures on tar are inconclusive, though Chaouachi indicates the tar would be less harmful.
Some hookah tobaccos claim to contain 0.0% Tar. This is highly misleading since the tar is not contained in the tobacco but is produced when it is burned. All tobaccos produce tars when burned. The tar numbers listed on cigarette packs are obtained from burning the cigarette in a controlled way and analyzing the resulting smoke.
However research has indicated that the use of the hookah may reduce comparative
cancer risks, though such studies are not conclusive (Hoffman
[9], Rakower, Salem 1983 and 90, Gupta Dheeraj 2001, Tandon 1995, Lubin 1992, Hazelton 2001, Stirling 1979). The levels of carbon monoxide produced during a hookah session varies widely depending on the type of coal used. Japanese charcoals are thought to produce lower amounts of carbon monoxide. However there is a notable difference in areas of carbon monoxide absorption, in that while cigarettes have a notable effect on the small respiratory tracts rather, shisha smoking mostly affects the major airways (Bakir 1991, Kiter). This means a lessened
FEV vs
FEV1/FVC ratio compared to cigarettes, which is believed to be less harmful for the airways long-term. However, it should not be considered as a "safe" alternative to common cigarette smoking.
A report
[9] released in 2005 by WHO (World Health Organization) claimed to have researched the effects of water-pipe smoking.
A popular article by K Chaouachi, a French researcher who has been studying hookah usage and effects throughout the world since 1997, highlighted the mistakes and errors made by the WHO TobReg in its report
[9]. The WHO TobReg's report is used in a lot of media articles about hookah smoking and its effects. Chaouachi also authored a book
[9] in 2007 which offers a complete look at data collected from his studies on hookahs and hookah users.
Many articles
[9] suggest that there is there is simply not enough research to provide answers to determine the effects of hookah smoking. Research is under way by Fogarty International Center-funded Syrian Center for Tobacco Studies, Egyptian Smoking Prevention Research Institute, Research for International Tobacco Control-funded Tobacco Prevention and Control Research Group at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
References
1. Hookah History
2. Why not learn about the origin of Hookah?
3. Nargile
4. Booth, Martin. ''Cannabis: A History''. London: Bantam, 2004. p. 65.
5. http://www.tobacco.org/articles/country/malaysia/?code=malaysia&pattern=shisha
6. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5520a2.htm
7. A Cultural History Faces Stringent Smoking Laws
8. Hubble-bubble as cafes go up in smoke
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
External links
★
Hookah Bar Directory and Review Site
★
The Sacred Narghile Facts about Shisha & Health Effects
★
Hookah news page -
Alcohol and Drugs History Society
★
Hookah trend is puffing along -
USA Today
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