Let me begin by saying that I'm sure this will be the only Weekly Wrap-Up that mentions hookah smoking.
Photo courtesy: Rebecca Poole Images |
DANYA is (L -R): Danya Powell, Mat Poole, Asa Wiggins, Matt Morris (Photo courtesy: Rebecca Poole Images) |
So my sister-in-law, Karla, had invited a friend, and they had both brought their little girls (8-year-olds) who had seen the band before and are big fans. :) With our smoothies, milkshakes, and coffees ordered, we were chatting amiably when someone said, "What is that smell?" And then a server strolled past our table to the one next to us with a hookah pipe in hand. (It looks just like a bong.) And one of the moms said, "And what is that?"
Photo courtesy: shishapipe.com |
What is a Hookah and Shisha?
- A hookah is a water pipe used to smoke tobacco through cooled water. The tobacco is heated in the bowl at the top of the hookah and the smoke is filtered through the water in the base of the hookah.
- Alternate names for hookahs include: water pipe, goza, hubble-bubble, borry, arhile, and narghile.
- Shisha is the tobacco smoked in a hookah. It is a very moist and sticky tobacco that has been soaked in honey or molasses.
- There are a variety of shisha flavors including apple, plum, coconut, mango, mint, and strawberry.
It's not really smoking.
It's a water-base, and way more filtered than regular cigarettes, so it's not unhealthy.
It's okay--it's not addictive.
Don't worry, there's no secondhand smoke effects.
Well, I'm not sure where they got their information, er, misinformation, but I came home and started doing some research. All of the above statements, er, misstatements, are refuted with cold hard facts at tobaccofreeu.org. And here's more info from that site:
Quick Facts
Compared to a single cigarette, hookah smoke is known to contain:
- Higher levels of arsenic, lead, and nickel1
- 36 times more tar
- 15 times more carbon monoxide
A 45 to 60 minute hookah session exposes the smoker to approximately the same amount of tar and nicotine as one pack of cigarettes.
Sharing mouthpieces (gross!) without washing them can increase the risk of spreading colds, flu,and infections—even oral herpes.
Health risks of smoking hookahs include cancer, heart disease, lung damage, and dental disease.
Do not think that if you are just visiting a hookah bar, that you are in the clear. There are still high levels of damaging secondhand smoke to all who are present.
Don't be misled and don't be uninformed about what is making headway and becoming trendy with our teens. Arm yourself with the facts, because evidently, hookah has some pretty good word-of-mouth going for it with the rumors abounding of it not being as "bad" as cigarettes.
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7 comments:
Thanks for the info Rebecca! Never heard of it but glad i know now! Hope you're having a great week!
Love,
Jenifer
Thanks, Jenifer!
Thanks for doing some research! I haven't heard that hookah is big around here, but it is good to be aware it is out there.
Thanks for the information. I hate that as a mom we have to be know this stuff, yet it is SO important we are armed. Thanks.
Yes, it's more important now than ever! Thanks for reading! :)
I hadn't heard about this trend either (although I've read about hookahs somewhere -- just not in contemporary times!), so I was glad to get the info you provided. Thanks!
Thanks so much for this. I've known that there are some popular hooka bars near the college. Even some of the younger guys my husband works with go there and, yes, say it's safer. Your information is much appreciated as I keep an eye on this trend.
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