Sunday, December 16, 2012

Hookah - Safer Smoking

By Hookah John


A hookah is a device for smoking flavorful tobacco, allowing for purification of the smoke through a water basin before inhalation. The source of hookahs is in the Middle East, where one can still get the best quality hookahs in the world. Hookahs are constructed in a straightforward way with basic parts.

Parts

The end of the body is immersed in a water jar through which the smoke produced by burning tobacco passes. As the smoke exits the bottom of the body, it is purified by the water and stored in the air chamber right above the water. Passing smoke through water cools down the temperature of the smoke and makes it more suitable for the lungs, which is another beneficial side effect of purifying smoke with water. The hose can be seen in the diagram on the top left of water jar. It is not fully represented here, but the hose normally extends 1 or more meters. The smoker puffs on the hose and breathes in the smoker from the air chamber. After inhaling, the smoker breathes out clean and fragrant smoke. Hookahs are generally smoked in a social, group setting where smokers can enjoy each others' company.

What Do You Inhale from a Hookah?

Hookahs are traditionally used to smoke flavored tobacco referred to as "shisha". Modern-day shisha is made up of some or all of the following: tobacco, treacle (uncrystallized syrup produced in refining sugar), honey, sugar, molasses, glycerin, nicotine, dried fruit and distilled water.

Shisha is generally fruit flavor based. But, flavors that are offshoots of these fruity favors like Banana split are now rising in popularity.

The tobacco flavors have become more and more adaptable because of the ease of flavoring in production. The dried tobacco, glycerin, and sweetener can be blended with essentially any ingredients to create one of a kind flavors.

The Original Source of Hookahs

The very first hookah was designed by a Persian physician known as Abul-Fath Gilani in the 1500's. The term hookah originates from the indian name of this device "huqqa." After growing concerned with the health hazards of smoking, he produced a system whereby he passed the smoke with a water basin in order to 'purify' it. However, it is said that even before he invented it, hookah existed in other regions of Persia. After it gained popularity in Indian it spread all through Pakistan and Turkey. Once the hookah arrived at Turkey, its fame increased among the Turkish elite, and it swiftly spread through Lebanon and Syria to the rest of the Middle East and into northern Africa. Now, it has become quite popular around the globe.

As the hookah reached different countries, it gathered different names.

Nargile (also pronounced Argilee) - Primarily used in Mediterranean nations

Narguile - used in Spain

Lula (or lulava) - used in Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina

Sheesha - used by countries in Northern Africa from Morocco to Egypt, and the Arab countries in the Persian Gulf including Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia

Qalyan - used in Iran

Karim Khan - used in Russia, Belarus

Chillim - used in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan

Huqqa - used in India and Pakistan

Gudugudaa - used in Maldives

Marra Pipe - used in the UK

I Want To Buy a Hookah, Where Should I Go?

Hookahs can be bought in brick and mortar shops as well as from online shops. Hookah shops have grown with the rise in popularity of hookah bars across the U.S. since the turn of the century. You can easily find a hookah shop close to you if you live in a populated urban area in the U.S. In the Mediterranean countries and the Persian Gulf, hookahs have grown to be a part of daily lives of individuals. However, this is not the case in the U.S.

If you don't want to wander around looking for a hookah, then you a buy one on the web from a number of shops online that offer good quality hookahs and shishas.

What You Should Know About Health Hazards Before Starting to Smoke Hookah?

The debate rages on about whether hookah smoking is safer than cigarette smoking. Inhaling any type of smoke is harmful for lungs but the people in favor of hookah say that the smoke is cleaner and as compared to the smoke of a cigarette. Detractors claim that hookah smoke contains just as many harmful toxins including tar, carbon monoxide, heavy metals, and cancer-causing chemicals. Another argument is that hookah smoking sessions last 60 minutes or longer, so the amount of smoke inhaled is way greater than cigarette smoking. On the other hand, hookah smoking is considered to be less addictive than cigarettes, and lots of hookah smokers do it on a much more casual or social basis, instead of many cigarette smokers who typically smoke several cigarettes per day.




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