Hookah--Shisha--tobacco

I’ve heard that “puff for puff” nargile does less damage to your lungs than cigarettes, but given the culture of use, it’s actually worse for you. A lot of people claim nargile’s healthier, but again that’s if you ignore the culture factor.

A person who smokes generally has, what, one cigarette an hour or so? With a nargile, though, people sit around the thing chatting and playing backgammon and smoking for hours at a time. No one’s going to set the thing up for a five-minute smoke all by themselves. So over, say, a month's time, typical nargile smokers inhale more smoke than cigarette smokers. Also keep in mind that they aren't just used during "free time after work." Plenty of people (mostly male business owners) sit around smoking and discussing business, so the whole "finding time for a smoke break" thing isn't relevant for everyone.

That's hard to provide resources for, but it is something to consider if you're doing serious research. Also, keep in mind that a lot of places where the nargile is traditional, some smokers also smoke cigarettes.

Try going here http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed and searching "hookah," "nargile," and "narghile" and you'll find a variety of studies. (They're there, I just checked)

This one is interesting: http://pmid.us/18778388
"The passage of smoke through water on its way to the smoker underlies much of the common misperception that waterpipe use is less harmful than cigarettes."

Cassiopeia said:

-What can you tell me about the use of a Hookah for smoking Shisha, either herbal or tobacco mixed with fruits for the risk of lung and other associated ailments such as cancer and emphysema?

-Does the water work as a better filtration system?

-Is the tobacco used in this device free of additives?

-Is there such a thing as additive free tobacco.

-Is the hookah really a better alternative or worse? Can you make an argument for either?

-What about cigars and chewing tobacco?

I'm not wanting a debate or I'd have put this elsewhere. I'd like substantial resources if possible. Thanks for your help and information.

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When I smoked hookah smoke felt much cleaner than from cigarettes. It felt much better, too. As an alternative: hookah every evening to me would've been much better than pack a day, but it is significantly more expensive. Not to mention, there's some specific charm in the culture of consumption tobacco via hookah. It creates a certain relaxed and happy atmosphere. Smoke from hookah is slightly steamy- lookes thicker, but feels thinner in your lungs. Closer to the last puffs it grows thicker. Not very much flavor, but buzz is sweeter. Almost doesn't tickle your lungs, though...
Cigars- I love them, but totally different thing. They're there mostly for flavor. Also - some people do that, but I don't think it is a good idea to smoke it on its own. Good coffee or scotch are my favorite "side-dishes". They perfectly match nutty/tea/coffee-ish spicy flavor of cigars. You don't technically take puffs into your lungs from cigars, but the smoke is so thick that you get pretty strong buzz anyway- smoke is very heavy and seeps down into your lungs anyway. I personally still like taking really small puffs from lighter cigars- to tickle my lungs. If you do cigars every day, though, you'll get too used to nicotine and won't feel buzz at all...
Not an expert in chewing tobacco, but know a thing or two about snuss- scandivian tiny bags of salted and flavored tobacco, which you put between your lip and your gum for 10-15 minutes. They give very strong buzz, since nicotine goes right into your blood. If you don't have a habit for it, might make you sick first couple times...
Hope I was at least a little helpful!

Aquilegia said:

A person who smokes generally has, what, one cigarette an hour or so?

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If they're trying to cut down or quit. I'm going through about 30 cigarettes a day at the moment.

There were hookah sections in some local Mid-Eastern restaurants locally about eight years ago, but a state law passed banning smoking in bars and restaurants (the rational was it was for the health of restaurant workers, but it also let the rest of us go out for a drink and a meal without throwing up) and the hookah bars went away.

They were a fad among the 20-some and some college aged kids, and I would venture that the hookah smoking wouldn't have lasted even if it were legal.

StephanieFox said:

There were hookah sections in some local Mid-Eastern restaurants locally about eight years ago, but a state law passed banning smoking in bars and restaurants (the rational was it was for the health of restaurant workers, but it also let the rest of us go out for a drink and a meal without throwing up) and the hookah bars went away.

They were a fad among the 20-some and some college aged kids, and I would venture that the hookah smoking wouldn't have lasted even if it were legal.

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There are still some hookah bars and restaurants here in NY. I checked a few places out fairly recently when I was looking to hire a belly dancer for a party (don't ask).

I smoked from a hookah when I was traveling in Morocco a while back, but I have no clue what was in it. It was sweet and fruity and not at all tobacco-ish.

Cassiopeia said:

So does it have a strong tobacco smell or is it more incense smelling with the herbs and fruits?

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It smelled like burning fruit, or maybe a really sweet port wine.

Cassiopeia said:

So does it have a strong tobacco smell or is it more incense smelling with the herbs and fruits?

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No. If it did- just a little. Mostly just sweet, with barely any flavor.

Cassiopeia said:

So then, it's really just a social thing? It kind of reminds me of my uncle and his pipe which more than half the time he just held in his mouth without lighting it.

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It seemed that way to me, but I've only ever seen it in social places like bar and restaurants. Did you see this article? It was on my homepage this morning and I thought of you.

BigWords said:

If they're trying to cut down or quit. I'm going through about 30 cigarettes a day at the moment.

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Thanks. I wasn't really sure. My boyfriend smokes about that much (pack and a half a day), but then he does keep saying he'd like to quit. He's another one who thinks nargile's somehow safer, but he doesn't believe in second-hand smoke, either.

WendyNYC said:

It seemed that way to me, but I've only ever seen it in social places like bar and restaurants.

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I second Wendy for the most part. That said, guys will also hang around outside their businesses and in the courtyards of homes and apartment buildings, and smoke and play board or card games. And that said, the "for hours" in my above post really applies more to the backgammon than the actual smoking.

Mostly a guy thing, though. I can't speak for all places, of course, but in some areas there's this attitude that women shouldn't smoke (nargile or cigs) and those who do are, um, "loose" if not actual paid ladies.

Here in Ontario it is legal in restaurants somehow doesn't qualify as "smoking". The smell can be quite sweet depending on the flavour, many ladies I know go to the shisa cafes to smoke these seem to be women that would be considered more liberal (they don't wear headscarves or veils) and from what I can see dominantly Lebanese not so much the Saudi or Libyan ladies. I have to say the taste is very pleasant as is the burning of it - I am a smoker and it is much better than my smokes. I have heard though that it can be bad for you but then so are the bus fumes I have to put up with every day at the bus stop. Most of my arabic friends will go to a shisa cafe a few times a week and have hookahs in their homes for relaxing and social occasions. Most of the males I know also smoke cigarettes and they do both. Personally I really like the flavour of shisha and there are many to choose from strawberry, vanilla, raspberry, blackcurrant and much more even the men choose the fruit flavours. Chewing tobacco tastes disgusting even the flavoured stuff is vile and it burns and stings your tongue. I do like a good cigar but you don't inhale that and the flavours can be incredible especially on a good Cuban. The same goes for a Russian Sobranie or a Port Wine cigarillo, the flavour can be good but the second hand smoke is vile and nasty.

Cassiopeia said:

So then, it's really just a social thing? It kind of reminds me of my uncle and his pipe which more than half the time he just held in his mouth without lighting it.

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Friends of mine came back from Egypt with a shisha, which then got dragged out at every party for months afterwards. I'm not a smoker, but I did use the shisha. They had apple flavoured tobacco, which was very pleasant. Sweet, but I could still taste the tobacco. It wasn't just like breathing flavoured air, I'd get a head rush very quickly. My friends learnt in Egypt that you could use beer or other alcohol instead of the water - they met a heavy shisha user who said if he got a bottle of fine whiskey he'd choose to smoke it instead of drink it.