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Hookah

 
Hookah

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Hookah



 
 
A hookah ( huqqah) is a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-bottomed) water pipe for smoking
Smoking

Smoking is a practice where a substance, most commonly tobacco, is burned and the smoke tasted or inhaled. This is primarily done as a form of recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them available for absorption through the lungs....
. Originally from alongside the borders of India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
 and Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
, the hookah has gained immense popularity, especially in the Middle East
Middle East

File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East....
. A hookah operates by water filtration and indirect heat.






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Hoookah
A hookah ( huqqah) is a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-bottomed) water pipe for smoking
Smoking

Smoking is a practice where a substance, most commonly tobacco, is burned and the smoke tasted or inhaled. This is primarily done as a form of recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them available for absorption through the lungs....
. Originally from alongside the borders of India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
 and Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
, the hookah has gained immense popularity, especially in the Middle East
Middle East

File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East....
. A hookah operates by water filtration and indirect heat. It can be used for smoking herbal fruits, tobacco
Tobacco

Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as an organic pesticide, and in the form of nicotine tartrate it is used in some medicines....
, or cannabis
Cannabis

Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa L., Cannabis indica Lam., and Cannabis ruderalis Janisch....
.

Terminology

Depending on locality, hookahs may be referred to by many names, often of Arabic, Indian, Turkic
Turkic languages

The Turkic languages constitute a language family of some thirty languages, spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean Sea to Siberia and Western China, and are sometimes considered to be part of the proposed Altaic languages....
, or Persian
Persian language

name=Persian|nativename=|pronunciation=[f??r'si]|image=|caption=Farsi in Perso-Arabic script |states= Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Bahrain....
 origin. Narghilč but pronounced "Argilah" is the name most commonly used in the Palestinian Territories
Palestinian territories

The Palestinian territories are composed of two discontiguous regions, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, whose final status has yet to be determined....
, Lebanon
Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic , is a country in Western Asia, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea....
, Syria
Syria

Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is an Arab-majority country in Southwest Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Israel to the southwest, Jordan to the south, Iraq to the east, and Turkey to the north....
, Iraq
Iraq

Iraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros Mountains, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Jordan
Jordan

Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba....
, Greece
Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
, Turkey
Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in southwest Asia and Thrace in the Balkans region of Southern Europe....
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan , is the largest and most populous country in the South Caucasus, located partially in Eastern Europe and partially in Western Asia....
, Armenia
Armenia

Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in South Caucasus between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea....
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria

The state of Bulgaria , Scientific transliteration Balgarija, officially the Republic of Bulgaria has played a significant role in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe for over fourteen centuries....
 and Israel
Israel

Israel officially the State of Israel , is a country in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area....
, although the initial "n" is often dropped in Arabic pronunciation. Narghile derives from the Arabic
Arabic language

Arabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages languages such as Hebrew language and Aramaic language....
 word narghil, meaning coconut
Coconut

The Coconut Palm is a member of the Family Arecaceae . It is the only species in the genus Cocos, and is a large palm, growing to 30 m tall, with pinnate leaf 4-6 m long, pinnae 60-90 cm long; old leaves break away cleanly leaving the trunk smooth....
, which in turn is from the Sanskrit
Sanskrit

Sanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India....
 word narikela (????????), suggesting that early hookahs were hewn from coconut shells.

In Albania
Albania

Albania , officially the Republic of Albania , is a country in Balkans. It is bordered by Greece to the south-east, Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, and the Republic of Macedonia to the east....
, Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country on the Balkans peninsula of South Eastern Europe with an area of 51,129 square kilometres . Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the south, Bosnia and Herzegovina is Landlocked#Nearly landlocked, except for 26 kilometres of the Adriatic Sea coas...
, Croatia
Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a Central European country at the crossroads of Pannonian Plain, Balkans, and the Mediterranean Sea....
 the hookah is called "Lula" or "Lulava" in Romani
Romani language

Romani or Romany, Gypsy or Gipsy is the language of the Romani people. It is an Indo-Aryan language, sometimes included in either the "Central Indo-Aryan" or the "Northwest Indo-Aryan languages" group, sometimes treated as a branch of its own....
, meaning "pipe," the word "shishe" refers to the actual bottle piece.

Shisha , from the Persian
Persian language

name=Persian|nativename=|pronunciation=[f??r'si]|image=|caption=Farsi in Perso-Arabic script |states= Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Bahrain....
 word shishe, meaning glass
Glass

Glass generally refers to a Hardness, brittle, transparency amorphous solid, such as that used for windows, many Glass Bottles, or eyewear, including, but not limited to, soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, acrylic glass, sugar glass, Muscovite , or aluminium oxynitride....
, is the common term for the hookah in Egypt
Egypt

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about , Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west....
 and the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Historically and commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is sometimes Persian Gulf naming dispute referred to as the Arabian Gulf by certain Arab countries or simply The Gulf, although nei...
 (including Kuwait
Kuwait

The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west....
, Iraq
Iraq

Iraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros Mountains, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Bahrain
Bahrain

The Kingdom of Bahrain, in , , literally Kingdom of the Two Seas).Bahrain is an Arabic island country in the Persian Gulf ruled by the Al Khalifa regime....
, Qatar
Qatar

Qatar , officially the State of Qatar , is an Arab emirate in Southwest Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the larger Arabian Peninsula....
, Oman
Oman

Oman , officially the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab country in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates on the northwest, Saudi Arabia on the west and Yemen on the southwest....
, UAE
United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven states situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia....
, and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA , is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south....
), and in Indonesia
Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia , is a transcontinental country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Comprising Islands of Indonesia, it is the world's largest Archipelago state....
, Morocco
Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 34 million and an area just under 447,000 km2....
, Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
, Tunisia
Tunisia

Tunisia , officially the Tunisian Republic , is a country located in North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast....
, Somalia
Somalia

Somalia , officially the Republic of Somalia and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, is a country located in the Horn of Africa....
 and Yemen
Yemen

Yemen , officially the Republic of Yemen is an Arab country located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia. Yemen has an estimated population of more than 23 million people and is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the North, the Red Sea to the West, the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden to the South, and Oman to the east....
.

In Iran
Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
, hookah is called ????? "Ghelyoon". In India and Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
 the name most similar to the English
English language

English is a West Germanic language that originated in Anglo-Saxon England and has lingua franca status in many parts of the world as a result of the military, economic, scientific, political and cultural influence of the British Empire in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries and that of the United States from the mid 20th century onwa...
 hookah is used: huqqa (?????? /???). The terms "hubble-bubble" and "hubbly-bubbly" are also used.

The commonness of the Indian
Languages of India

The languages of India belong to several major Language family, the two largest being the Indo-European languages---Indo-Aryan languages and the Dravidian languages, ....
 word "hookah" in English is a result of the British Raj
British Raj

British Raj primarily refers to the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; it can also refer to the period of dominion, and even the region under the rule....
, the British dominion of India (1858–1947), when large numbers of expatriate
Expatriate

An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently Residency in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing or legal residence....
 Britons first sampled the water-pipe. William Hickey
William Hickey (memoirist)

William Hickey , was a lawyer, but is best-known for his vast Memoirs, composed in 1808-10 and published between 1913 and 1925, which in their manuscript form cover seven hundred and forty closely-written pages....
, shortly after arriving in Kolkata
Kolkata

, Indian renaming controversy , is the Capital of the Indian States and territories of India of West Bengal. It is located in East India on the east bank of the River Hooghly....
, India, in 1775, wrote in his Memoirs:

The Hookah was invented in India in the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar (1542 - 1605 CE) Following the European introduction of tobacco
Tobacco

Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as an organic pesticide, and in the form of nicotine tartrate it is used in some medicines....
 to India, Hakim Abul Fateh Gilani who was a physician in the court of Mughal raised concerns after smoking tobacco became popular among Indian noblemen, and subsequently envisaged a system which allowed smoke to be passed through water in order to be 'purified'. Gilani invented the Hookah after Asad Beg, then ambassador of Bijapur
Bijapur

Various places in India.*Bijapur, Karnataka*Bijapur Sultanate*Bijapur District*Bijapur, Chhattisgarh - an assembly constituency under Bastar . This are is in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh, Chhattisgarh...
, encouraged Akbar to take up smoking. Following popularity among noblemen, this new device for smoking soon became a status symbol for the Indian affluent.

Culture


Middle East


Arab world
In the Arab world
Arab world

The Arab World refers to Arabic-speaking countries stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean in the southeast....
, social smoking is done with a single or double hose, and sometimes even more numerous such as a triple or quadruple hose in the forms of parties or small get-togethers. When the smoker is finished, either the hose is placed back on the table signifying that it is available, or it is handed from one user to the next, folded back on itself so that the mouthpiece
Mouthpiece

Mouthpiece usually refers to the part of an object which comes near or in contact with one's mouth during use, such as the mouthpiece of a smoking pipe, telephone or musical instrument....
 is not pointing at the recipient. Another tradition is that the recipient taps or slaps the previous smoker on the back of the hand while taking it, as a sign of respect
Respect

Respect is esteem for, or a sense of the worth or excellence of, a person, a personal quality, ability, or a manifestation of a personal quality or ability....
 or friendship
Friendship

Friendship is a term used to denote co-operative and supportive behavior between two or more people. In this sense, the term connotes a Interpersonal relationship which involves mutual knowledge, esteem, and affection and respect along with a degree of rendering service to friends in times of need or crisis....
.

In café
Café

A caf? or coffee shop is an informal restaurant offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches. This differs from a coffee house, which is a limited-menu establishment which focuses on coffee sales....
s and restaurant
Restaurant

A restaurant prepares and serves food and drink to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery ....
s, however, it is rare for each smoker not to order an individual hookah, as the price is generally low, ranging from USD
United States dollar

The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States and was defined by the Coinage Act of 1792 to be between 371 and 416 grains of silver ....
 3 to USD 25.

Most cafés (Arabic
Arabic language

Arabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages languages such as Hebrew language and Aramaic language....
: ?????, transliteration: maqhah, translation
Translation

Translation is the hermeneutics of the Meaning of a text and the subsequent production of an Dynamic and formal equivalence text, likewise called a "translation," that communicates the same message in another language....
: coffeeshop) in the Middle East offer hookahs. Cafés are widespread and are amongst the chief social gathering places in the Arab world (akin to public house
Public house

A public house, the formal name for a pub in Britain, is a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic beverage for consumption on or off the premises in countries and regions of United Kingdom influence....
s in Britain
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
). Some expatriate
Expatriate

An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently Residency in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing or legal residence....
 Britons arriving in the Middle East adopt shisha cafés to make up for the lack of pubs
Public house

A public house, the formal name for a pub in Britain, is a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic beverage for consumption on or off the premises in countries and regions of United Kingdom influence....
 in the region, especially where prohibition
Prohibition

Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, also known as The Noble Experiment, refers to a sumptuary law which prohibits alcohol....
 is in place.

Iran
Qalyoon
In Iran
Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
, the hookah is known as a ghalyun (also spelled ghalyan, ghalyaan or ghelyoon). It is similar in many ways to the Arabic hookah but has its own unique attributes. An example is the top part of the ghalyoun called 'sar' (Persian: ??=head), where the tobacco is placed, is bigger than the ones seen 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.

Each person has his own personal mouthpiece (called an Amjid), 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
Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
 can be traced back to the Qajar
Qajar dynasty

The Qajar dynasty is a common term to describe Iran under the ruling Qajar royal family that ruled Iran from 1794 to 1925. In 1794 the Qajar family took full control of Iran as they had eliminated all their rivals, including Lotf 'Ali Khan, the last of the Zand dynasty, and had reasserted Persian sovereignty over the former Iranian terr...
 period. In those days the hoses were made of sugar cane. Persians
Persian people

Persian identity, at least in terms of language, is traced to the ancient Indo-Iranians , who arrived in parts of Greater Iran circa 2000-1500 BCE....
 had a special tobacco called Khansar (??????, presumably name of the origin city). The charcoals would be put on the Khansar without foil. Khansar has less smoke than the normal tobacco. Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar, Shah of Persia (1848-1896) is reputed to have considered a hookah mouthpiece pointed at him an insult
Insult

An insult is an expression, statement which is considered degrading. Insults may be intentional or accidental. An example of the wikt:latter is a well-intended simple explanation, which in fact is wikt:superfluous, but is given due to underestimating the intelligence or knowledge of the other....
.

The smoking of hookahs is very popular with young people in Iran, and many young people can be seen smoking them in local tea shops.

The hookah was, until recently, served to all ages; Iranian officials have since passed a law forbidding its use by those under 20.

Israel
Hookas for Sale in Jerusalem
Smoking hookah is not only a tradition, but a culture. In Israel
Israel

Israel officially the State of Israel , is a country in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area....
, the hookah is prevalent among Middle Eastern Jewish immigrants from Iran
Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
, Iraq
Iraq

Iraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros Mountains, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Turkey
Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in southwest Asia and Thrace in the Balkans region of Southern Europe....
 and Yemen
Yemen

Yemen , officially the Republic of Yemen is an Arab country located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia. Yemen has an estimated population of more than 23 million people and is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the North, the Red Sea to the West, the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden to the South, and Oman to the east....
 (collectively known as Mizrahi Jews
Mizrahi Jews

Mizrahi Jews or Mizrahim, , also referred to as Adot HaMizrach are Jews descended from the Jewish communities of the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and the Caucasus....
). Hookah use is also common in the Arab home where families will commonly smoke after a large meal or at a family gathering. 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 was 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. The prevalent terminology in Israel is nargila for the actual pipe, and shisha for the tobacco.

South Asia


Afghanistan
In Afganistan the hookah has been popular for some time, especially in Kabul
Kabul

Kabul is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of approximately three million. It is an economic and cultural centre, situated 5,900 foot above sea level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains along the Kabul River....
 where it is better known as a "chillam".

It has been a long tradition to Afghans to smoke all together with family and friends on special occasions.

India
The hookah was invented in India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
 by a physician during the Mughal reign as a purportedly less harmful method of cannabis use. The physician Hakim Abul Fath suggested that "cannabis smoke should be first passed through a small receptacle of water so that it would be rendered harmless."

In India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
, the hookah is becoming better known to the masses, 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 in India offering a variety of hookahs. The new trends emerging are that of non-tobacco hookahs with herbal flavors.

Koyilandy, a small fishing town on the west coast of India, once made and exported these extensively. These are known as Malabar Hookhas or Koyilandy Hookahs
Koyilandy

Koyilandy is a city and a municipality in Kozhikode district in the Indian States and territories of India of Kerala. This town is between Calicut and Badagara and is on NH 17....
. Today these intricate hookahs are difficult to find outside of Koyilandy and not much easier to find in Koyilandy itself.

Pakistan
In Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
, although traditionally prevalent in rural areas for generations, hookahs have become very popular in the cosmopolitan cities. 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 and restaurants offering a variety of hookahs.

Southeast Asia


Malaysia
With the increase of Persian
Persian people

Persian identity, at least in terms of language, is traced to the ancient Indo-Iranians , who arrived in parts of Greater Iran circa 2000-1500 BCE....
 and Arab communities, Malaysia
Malaysia

Malaysia is a federation that consists of States of Malaysia in Southeast Asia with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government....
 too has seen an increase in hookah use and cafes offering hookah more commonly known as shisha.

Philippines
In the Philippines
Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, the Hookah or Shisha was particularly used within the minority Indian Filipino and Arab Filipino communities, although particularly among indigenous Muslim Filipinos, a historical following of social and cultural trends set in the Middle East or Indian Subcontinent led to the Hookah being a rare albeit prestige social-habit of noblemen in important trade cities such as Cotabato
Cotabato

North Cotabato, formerly Cotabato, is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines of the Philippines located in the SOCCSKSARGEN Regions of the Philippines in Mindanao....
 or Jolo
Jolo

Jolo may refer to:* Jolo Island* Jolo, Sulu* Jolo, West Virginia* Jolo is also the nickname of Swedish author Jan Olof Olsson....
.

Hookah was virtually unknown by Christian Filipinos before the latter 20th century, yet the popularity among contemporary younger Christians is now vastly growing. In the capital's most cosmopolitan city, Makati; various high-end bars and clubs offer hookahs to patrons.

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 young adults
Youth

Youth is the period between childhood and adulthood, generally from ages 13-21. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals exist at all ages....
, who may be underage and thus unable to purchase cigarette
Cigarette

A cigarette is a product consumed through smoking and manufactured out of curing and finely cut tobacco leaves and reconstituted tobacco, often combined with other List of additives in cigarettes, then rolled or stuffed into a paper-wrapped cylinder ....
s.

South Africa

In South Africa
South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
, hookah, colloquially known as a hubbly bubbly, is popular amongst the Cape Malay, Indian
Asians in South Africa

The majority of South Africa's Asian population is Indian in origin, many of them descended from indentured workers brought to work on the sugar plantations of the eastern coastal area then known as Natal in the 19th century....
 population, where it is smoked as a social pastime. However, hookah is seeing increasing popularity with white South Africans, especially the youth. Bars that additionally provide hookahs are becoming more prominent, although smoking is normally done at home or in public spaces such as beaches and picnic sites.

In South Africa, the terminology of the various hookah components also differ from other countries. The clay "head/bowl" is known as a "clay pot". The hoses are called "pipes" and the air release valve is known, strangely, as a "clutch".

Some scientists point to the dagga
Dagga

Dagga can refer to:* Cannabis sativa* Leonotis leonurus, more commonly known as "wild dagga"...
 pipe as an African origin of hookah

Europe


Turkey

In Turkey
Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in southwest Asia and Thrace in the Balkans region of Southern Europe....
, the hookah (Turkish
Turkish language

Turkish is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Cyprus, with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and other parts of Eastern Europe....
: Nargile) is smoked on a social basis, usually in one's home with guests or in a cafe with friends. Most cities have hookah cafes where a hookah is offered with a non-alcoholic drink (mainly tea). This is mostly for health rather than cultural reasons. Often people will smoke a hookah after dinner as a replacement for cigarettes. In bigger cities such as Istanbul
Istanbul

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, List of metropolitan areas in Europe by population, and List of cities proper by population in the world with a population of 12.6 million....
, Ankara
Ankara

Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and the country's List of largest cities and second largest cities by country List of cities in Turkey after Istanbul....
, Izmir
Izmir

Izmir, also once called Smyrna, is Turkey's third most populous city and the country's largest port after Istanbul. It is located along the outlying waters of the Gulf of Izmir, by the Aegean Sea....
, and Adana
Adana

Adana , is the capital of Adana Province in Turkey. The city administrates two districts, Seyhan and Y?regir, with a total population of 2,530,257 and an area of 1,945 km?....
, restaurants may have dinner & hookah specials which include a meal, beverage (alcoholic/non-alcoholic), Turkish coffee, and hookah.

Once the centre of Istanbul's social and political life, the hookah is considered one of life's great pleasures by the locals today. In certain parts of the country, people use hookah cafes to watch popular TV shows, national sports games, etc. and smoke hookahs to socialize.

Istanbul's most popular hookah cafe towns in Tophane and Ortaköy. In that towns all cafe's have a hookah service and lots of people enjoy the weekends in there.

In Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
, the use of the hookah has recently increased in popularity. They are usually readily available to smoke at prices between 5-10€ at tea-oriented coffeehouse
Coffeehouse

A coffeehouse or coffee shop is an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages. It shares some of the characteristics of a bar , and some of the characteristics of a restaurant, but it is different from a cafeteria....
s, called teterías in Spanish, which are often run by Arab immigrants or have some other sort of affinity with the East
Eastern world

The term Eastern world refers very broadly to the various cultures, society and philosophy systems of "the East", namely Asia and Eastern Europe ....
. Hookah pipes 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 can be noticeably less expensive than ordering hookahs at a coffee house.

Hookahs are also becoming increasingly popular in Moscow
Moscow

Moscow is the capital and the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia of the Russian Federation. It is also the largest European cities and metropolitan areas, with the Moscow metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world....
 and other Russian cities. Many bars employ a "hookah man" or "niam" which is commonly pronounced "ni-eem" (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 in Kyiv as well and other Ukrainian cities.

In Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
, smoking hookah (locally called Shisha or "Wasserpfeife", "hookah" is an unknown term) has enormously risen in popularity, originating from a large population of Turkish
Turkish people

The Turkish people , also known as "Turks" are defined mainly as citizens of the Republic of Turkey. An early history text provided the definition of being a Turk as "any individual within the Republic of Turkey, whatever his faith who speaks Turkish, grows up with Turkish culture and adopts the Turkish ideal is a Turk." This ideal...
 immigrants in West Germany
West Germany

West Germany was the common English name for the Germany , from its formation in May 1949 to German reunification in October 1990, when East Germany was dissolved and its States of Germany became part of the Federal Republic, ending the more than 40-year division of Germany....
, particularly in big cities as Berlin
Berlin

Berlin is the Capital of Germany city and one of sixteen States of Germany of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is the country's largest city....
 and Cologne
Cologne

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants....
, where a large amount of hookah bars exist. Hookahs are also very easy to acquire and many shops are specialized in selling water-pipes, flavored tobacco and charcoal. The prices are affordable and as a result, many teenagers own a hookah. The hookah has become also popular in East Germany, where the number of Turkish
Turkish people

The Turkish people , also known as "Turks" are defined mainly as citizens of the Republic of Turkey. An early history text provided the definition of being a Turk as "any individual within the Republic of Turkey, whatever his faith who speaks Turkish, grows up with Turkish culture and adopts the Turkish ideal is a Turk." This ideal...
 immigrants is very small, which shows that smoking hookah has become a general youth-trend in the last years (since approx. 2001), no more depending on ethnical backgrounds. Hookah bars are even commonly found in towns with just 100,000 inhabitants and less. Since April 2006 there is a special-interest magazine about hookahs available which is called "hookahMag" .

In Italy
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
, hookah bars are still uncommon, but their number is increasing, as hookah (usually known only as narghilč) smoking is currently gaining favor, and is seen as less dangerous and irritating than cigarettes for others nearby (though hookahs are still covered by anti-smoking laws
Smoking ban

Smoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibitionism tobacco smoking in employments and/or other public spaces....
). There used to be a ban by the Italian government on wet and fruit flavoured tobacco, but this ban has been abolished since the production of tobacco in Italy is no longer limited by "Monopolio di Stato
Government monopoly

In economics, a government monopoly is a form of coercive monopoly in which a government agency is the sole provider of a particular good or service and competition is prohibited by law....
." Italy is now itself a producer of high-quality hookah tobacco.

Hookahs are legal in Switzerland
Switzerland

Switzerland is a landlocked Swiss Alps country of roughly 7.7 million people in Western Europe with an area of 41,285 km?. Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 states called Cantons of Switzerland....
, and like in Germany, it also gained on popularity in the last years, therefore many teenagers own one.

In Scandinavia
Scandinavia

Scandinavia is a historical and geographical subregion in northern Europe that includes the Scandinavian Peninsula. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark; some authorities also include Finland and some might even include Iceland....
, 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 forbid smoking in restaurants and in public buildings.

In the Czech Republic
Czech Republic

The Czech Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east....
, hookah is relatively common in many tearooms (usually cost between 100 and 150 CZK
Czech koruna

The Czech koruna has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 8 February 1993 when, together with Slovak koruna, it replaced the Czechoslovak koruna at par....
). Hookahs are usually sold in specialized orient-shops and tearooms at prices mostly between 500 and 2500 CZK. Local names for hookah are "šíša", "vodárna", "vodnice", "vodár", "vodní dýmka", etc.

In Lithuania
Lithuania

Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest....
 hookah bars (locally named "kaljanas") are popular among young and middle-aged people. It usually costs 30-200 euros.

Hookah ('vesipiip' in Estonian, 'vízipipa' in Hungarian) has also gained major popularity in Estonia
Estonia

Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Finland across the Gulf of Finland, to the west by Sweden across the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by the Russia ....
 and Hungary
Hungary

Hungary , officially in English the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia....
 amongst teenagers, where it has caused controversy amongst the troubled parents. The same goes for Cyprus
Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is an island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, east of Greece, west of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, south of Turkey and north of Egypt....
, its use extended to young adults too. In Nicosia
Nicosia

Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is located at . Located on the River Pedieos and situated almost in the centre of the island, it is the seat of government as well as the main business centre....
 it is offered not only in specialised coffee-shops, but also in restaurants and other places, and often it is considered a given.

The word "hookah" is not popular in Poland, more common terms referring to water-pipe are "shisha" and "nargila". Shisha smoking is rather not popular but in every major city one can find either a tearoom where shisha is served as an addition to a tea or a restaurant where one can smoke shisha independently. Prices are between 20 - 50 PLZ for one shisha (7 - 12 euro).

Narghile smoking teahouses (also known as "chicha bars") had started becoming popular in France, but were hit full on by the recent ban on smoking in bars and restaurants. It remains to be seen if they will benefit from special exemptions or will disappear altogether.

Greece
Hookah, commonly referred to by Greeks
Greeks

The Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in Greek diaspora communities around the world....
 as nargiles (?a??????) was first introduced in Greece during Ottoman rule. It has remained in Greek culture, and had a heavy influence on the Rembetiko music scene created in Greece in the early 20th Century.

Hookah was initially smoked by those in the Greek "underworld" who wished to disassociate themselves with mainstream Greek society. Many towns and cities such as Piraeus
Piraeus

Piraeus is a city in the periphery of Attica, Greece, and a municipality within Athens urban area, located 10 km southwest of its center....
 were home to numerous hookah bars and hash dens. Hookah has been ever present in Greek society for the past few centuries, although the 20th Century is where it saw its boom in popularity.

Hookah has also seen a recent surge in popularity amongst younger users, who can visit the more contemporary hookah-cafes. These tend to be very popular and often packed; reservations are usually needed to enter.

United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom Hookah cafes (sometimes known locally as "Shisha Bars") exist in most major cities. London's Edgware Road area is noted for a high distribution of shops which serve hookah, but hookah cafes can be found in most cities in the south. There are several bars in Leeds
Leeds

Leeds is located on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England. It is the urban core and administrative centre of the wider metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds....
 and Bradford
Bradford

Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield....
.

Smoking was banned inside public places in England in July 2007 (Scotland, 2006). Since then, hookahs are only allowed to be smoked outside.

Hookah is often found in Indian
Indian cuisine

The cuisine of India is characterized by its sophisticated and subtle use of many spices and vegetables grown across India and also for the widespread practice of vegetarianism across its society....
 restaurants but is most commonly found in Lebanese
Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic , is a country in Western Asia, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea....
 restaurants and Egyptian
Egyptians

Egyptians is the name of the nationality and Mediterranean North African ethnic group native to Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to the Geography of Egypt, dominated by the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the Cataracts of the Nile to the Mediterranean Sea and enclosed by desert both to the Easte...
-run "hubbly-bubbly" bars. Concentrations of these hookah establishments are often found in close proximity to University campuses, as on Rusholme's
Rusholme

Rusholme is a part of Manchester, in North West England England, about two miles south of Manchester city centre.Rusholme is home to the Curry Mile - a focused stretch of South Asian restaurants....
 Curry Mile
Curry Mile

The Curry Mile is a nickname for the part of Wilmslow Road running through Rusholme in Manchester, England. The name is earned from thelarge number of South Asian restaurants along the road, thought to be the largest concentration outside of the Indian subcontinent....
 in Manchester
Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. Manchester was granted City status in the United Kingdom in 1853....
 or in Oxford
Oxford

Oxford is a City status in the United Kingdom, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. It has a population of 151,000. The rivers River Cherwell and River Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre....
, and they cater to a mixture of British and Middle-Eastern clientele amongst students.

United States and Canada


Recently many cities, states and countries have implemented smoking ban
Smoking ban

Smoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibitionism tobacco smoking in employments and/or other public spaces....
s. In some jurisdictions, hookah businesses can be exempted from the policies through special permits. Some permits however, have requirements such as the business earning a certain minimum percentage of their revenue from alcohol or tobacco.

In some cases, hookah bars have been forced to close or consider alternatives, such as offering flavored tobacco based maasel
Maasel

Maasel is any type of dried leaf that can be Curing with fruit, aromatic oils, candy and/or other flavorings. It is used as a tobacco substitute when smoking a hookah....
. In many cities though, hookah lounges have been growing in popularity. From the year 2000 to 2004, over 200 new hookah cafes opened for business, most of which are targeted at a young-adult age group,and were particularly near college campuses or cities with large Middle-Eastern communities. This activity continues to grow in popularity within the post-secondary student demographic.

In North America, the term 'shisha' is not as commonly used as 'hookah'. Sometimes 'Shisha' can also refer to the Flavored Tobacco inside the pipe as opposed to the Hookah pipe itself.

Mexico

In Mexico
Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
 hookah bars have gained popularity in recent years becoming a popular trend among young people. Some places are hookah cafes, while others are night-clubs offering hookah along with alcoholic beverages. They are often located at fashionable areas like Condesa
Condesa

Condesa is a neighborhood in the central borough of Cuauht?moc, D.F. in Mexico City. Nowadays the zone known as Condesa consists of three colonias: Condesa, Hip?dromo and Hip?dromo-Condesa....
 or Santa Fe, two of the richest neighborhoods in Mexico City
Mexico City

Mexico City is the capital city of Mexico. It is the most important economic, industrial, and cultural center in the country; the most populous city with over 8,836,045 inhabitants in 2008....
. The increasing popularity of the hookah is also due to the Middle Eastern immigrant families that have settled in Mexico for some time now. Unlike in Middle Eastern countries it is not habitual to smoke a hookah while, or immediately after, a dinner. The smoking of hookah is done usually in the late afternoon, and alcoholic beverages (such as vodka, tequila or Mezcal
Mezcal

Mezcal, or mescal, is a Mexican distilled spirit protected by International Denomination of Origin made from agave plants. Its production and consumption is popularly associated with the Mexican state of Oaxaca....
) are used as filters, instead of the traditional water.

Smoking was prohibited in enclosed spaces in Mexico City in April 2008 and in the State of Mexico in July 2008. This will greatly hinder the industry surrounding hookah, as many people only smoke socially.

New Zealand

In New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
, hookah pipes are considered by the Government to be a prohibited import. This is as a result of people using the pipes to administer cannabis
Cannabis (drug)

Cannabis, also known as Marijuana or marihuana, or ganja , is a psychoactive drug extracted from the plant Cannabis sativa, or more often, Cannabis sativa subsp....
 and is made illegal by an Act of Parliament under the Misuse of Drugs (Prohibition of Cannabis Utensils and Methamphetamine) Notice 2003.

Structure and operation


Components

Excluding grommet
Grommet

Grommets and eyelets are metal, plastic, or rubber rings that are inserted into a hole made through another material. They may be used to reinforce the hole, to shield something from the sharp edges of the hole, or both....
s, 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 coal and tobacco during the smoking session. The bowl is loaded with tobacco then covered in a small piece of perforated tin foil or a glass or metal screen. Lit coals are then placed on top, which allows the tobacco to heat to the proper temperature.

There is also a variation of the head which employs a fruit rather than the traditional clay bowl. The fruit is hollowed out and perforated in order to achieve the same shape and system a clay bowl has, then it is loaded and used in the same manner.

Hose
The hose is a slender tube that allows the smoke to be drawn. The end is typically fitted with a metal, wooden, or plastic mouthpiece, and come in various shapes, sizes and colors.

Body, gasket and valve
The body of the hookah is a hollow tube with a gasket at its bottom. On some occasions the body will contain a container at the top for ice in order to cool the smoke. The gasket itself has at least one opening for the hose, but it can have more openings, thus making a multi-hosed hookah. It may also have an additional opening with a valve for clearing the smoke from the water jar rather than through the hose. The gasket seals the connection of the body of the hookah with the water jar.

Water jar
Placed at the bottom of the hookah, the water jar is a container through which the smoke from the tobacco passes before it reaches the hose. By passing through water, the smoke gains moisture and is lowered in temperature. 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 used, such as alcohol, spirit and/or fruit juice, mint leaves with lemon slices, and in many cases, ice may be put in the bottom of the jar to dramatically lower the temperature, making for a smoother smoke.

Plate
The plate (ash tray) is usually just below the bowl and is used for "dead" coals from previous smoking sessions.

Grommets
Grommet
Grommet

Grommets and eyelets are metal, plastic, or rubber rings that are inserted into a hole made through another material. They may be used to reinforce the hole, to shield something from the sharp edges of the hole, or both....
s 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. The reason for the usage of grommets although not essential (the usage of paper or tape has become common) will help to seal the joints between the parts, therefore decreasing the amount of air coming in and maximizing the smoke breathed in.

Operation

The jar at the bottom of the hookah is filled with water sufficient to submerge a few centimetres 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 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.

Tobacco


Tobamel

Tobamel A sweet substance smoked in a hookah pipe, usually containing tobacco
Tobacco

Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as an organic pesticide, and in the form of nicotine tartrate it is used in some medicines....
. Tobamel is legal in Canada, the United States, and Europe. The "toba" in Tobamel stands for tobacco and "mel" for honey in Latin (miel in Spanish and French, for instance).

Ma'sal

Ma'sal, ????, Arabic for, literally, honeyed, is the name the "shisha tobacco" is labeled as by the Arabic producers like Egyptian based Nakhla Tobacco. A popular variety of Ma'sal is "bahraini ma`sal", which is produced in Bahrain

Tumbâk

Tumbâk is of Turkish
Turkish language

Turkish is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Cyprus, with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and other parts of Eastern Europe....
 origin and refers simply to tobacco, not necessarily flavoured or sweetened. The Persian
Persian language

name=Persian|nativename=|pronunciation=[f??r'si]|image=|caption=Farsi in Perso-Arabic script |states= Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Bahrain....
 word tumbeki and the Hindi
Hindi

Standard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a Standard language register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 official languages of India, and is used, along with English language, for administration of the central government....
/Urdu
Urdu

Urdu is a Central_Indo-Aryan_languages#Central_Zone_.28Madhya_or_Hindi.29 Indo-Aryan languages of the Indo-Iranian languages, belonging to the Indo-European languages family of languages....
 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 fruit
Fruit

The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context, and the term is not synonymous in food preparation and biology. In botany, which is the scientific study of plants, fruits are the ripened Ovary of flowering plants....
s or aromatic oils as well as tobacco that is just sweetened.

Flavours

Molasses 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
Vanilla

Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla native to Mexico. Etymologically, vanilla derives from the Spanish language word "", little pod....
, coconut
Coconut

The Coconut Palm is a member of the Family Arecaceae . It is the only species in the genus Cocos, and is a large palm, growing to 30 m tall, with pinnate leaf 4-6 m long, pinnae 60-90 cm long; old leaves break away cleanly leaving the trunk smooth....
, rose
Rose

A rose is a perennial plant flower shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species and comes in a variety of colors....
, jasmine
Jasmine

Jasmine is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family ,with about 200 species, native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World....
, honey
Honey

Honey is a sweet fluid produced by honey bees , and derived from the nectar of flowers. According to the United States National Honey Board and various international food regulations, "honey stipulates a pure product that does not allow for the addition of any other substance?this includes, but is not limited to, water or other sweeteners...
, mango
Mango

Mangoes belong to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous species of tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae....
, strawberry
Strawberry

Fragaria is the name of a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits....
, watermelon
Watermelon

Watermelon refers to both fruit and plant of a vine-like herb originally from southern Africa and one of the most common types of melon. This flowering plant produces a special type of fruit known by botany as a Epigynous berry, which has a thick Peel and fleshy center ; pepos are derived from an inferior ovary and are characteristic of...
, mint
Mentha

Mentha is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the Family Lamiaceae . Species within Mentha have a cosmopolitan distribution distribution across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America....
, cherry
Cherry

The word cherry refers to a fleshy fruit that contains a single stony seed. The cherry belongs to the family Rosaceae, genus Prunus, along with almonds, peaches, plums, apricots and bird cherry ....
, orange
Orange (fruit)

An orange?specifically, the sweet orange?is the citrus Citrus sinensis and its fruit. The orange is a Hybrid of ancient cultivated origin, possibly between pomelo and tangerine ....
, raspberry
Raspberry

The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the subgenus Rubus#Scientific classification of the genus Rubus; the name also applies to these plants themselves....
, apple
APPLE

This article is about the satellite APPLE. For the fruit apple, see Apple. For other uses see Apple .The Ariane Passenger PayLoad Experiment , was an experimental communication satellite with a C-Band transponder launched by Indian Space Research Organisation satellite on June 19, 1981 by Ariane 1, a launch vehicle of the European Spac...
, apricot
Apricot

The Apricot is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation, but most likely in northern and western China and Central Asia, possibly also Korea and Japan....
, chocolate
Chocolate

Chocolate comprises a number of raw and processed foods that are produced from the seed of the tropical cacao tree.Chocolate has become one of the most popular flavors in the world....
, licorice, coffee
Coffee

Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the Coffea. Caffeinated coffee has a stimulating effect in humans....
, grape
Grape

File:Table grapes on white.jpgA grape is the non-Climacteric #In_botany fruit that grows on the Perennial plant and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis....
, peach
Peach

The peach is known as a species of Prunus native to China that bears an edible juicy fruit also called a peach. It is a deciduous tree growing to 5?10 m tall, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae....
, cola
Cola

Cola is a beverage usually with caramel coloring and containing caffeine.Originally invented by the druggist John Pemberton, it has become popular worldwide....
, bubblegum
Bubblegum

Bubblegum is a type of chewing gum especially designed for blowing wiktionary:bubble.Bubblegum is available in many different colors and flavors....
, pineapple
Pineapple

Pineapple is the common name for an edible tropical plant and also its fruit. It is native to the southern part of Brazil, and Paraguay. This herbaceous plant perennial plant grows to tall with 30 or more trough-shaped and pointed leaves long, surrounding a thick plant stem....
, along with many others.

Blending flavours has also become very popular amongst hookah smokers. By mixing two or more flavours more complex tastes have been achieved. The strength and flavor will also differ accordingly to the amount of molasses and how dry or humid the flavor is.

Merchandising

Sheeshas
Besides being sold in little packets as is rolling tobacco
Shag (tobacco)

Shag or rolling tobacco is fine-cut tobacco used to make self made cigarettes by hand rolling the tobacco into rolling paper or injecting it into filter tubes....
, shisha is also sold in cardboard boxes and plastic jars. Packaging is generally illustrated with bright floral motifs, fruit, lush garden
Garden

A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials....
s and romantic images of sultans or pasha
Pasha

Pasha or pacha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors and generals....
s.

The relative proportions of tobacco, treacle
Treacle

Treacle is a thick, dark brown sugar syrup produced during raw sugarcane refining, used chiefly in cooking as a form of sweetener. It has a distinctively strong flavour, slightly bitter, and a richer colour than golden syrup, yet not as dark as molasses....
, fruits and spice
Spice

A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, leaf, or vegetable used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for the purpose of flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth....
s, 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
Lung cancer

Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissue of the lung. This growth may lead to metastasis, which is the invasion of adjacent tissue and infiltration beyond the lungs....
 risks and cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular diseases refers to the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the Circulatory system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis ....
 appear on these products similar to other tobacco products elsewhere in the world.

Some manufacturers produce tobacco-free flavored herb
Herb

A herb is a plant that is valued for qualities such as medicinal properties, flavor, scent, or the like....
al 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. However some hookah smokers prefer the "light-headedness" that comes from inhaling the tar and tobacco.

Health risks

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According to tobacco companies, the idea that hookah is not as dangerous as cigarettes is a popular misconception. Studies by tobacco companies have shown that use of hookah over many sessions can be as detrimental to a person's health as smoking cigarettes. . It seems the water moisture induced by the hookah makes the smoke less irritating and may give a false sense of security and reduce concerns about true health effects . However, in considering the competition which hookah poses for tobacco companies, this research should be taken with a grain of salt.

In 2005, the experts of the World Health Organization published an . One year later, this document was for sociological, anthropological, historical, and experimental errors. The criticisms focused on a lack of citations about the historical uses of hookah, and how the hookah was tested for tar production in a manner that may not reflect all cultures' frequency of puffing.

Each hookah session typically lasts more than 40 minutes, and consists of 50–200 puffs which range from 0.15–0.50 litre per puff .. Studies show that there are high levels of nicotine in hookah, and that this can lead to addiction, however despite the supposedly high nicotine content, the usage of hookah does not eliminate a smokers desire to smoke.

Other research shows that a single 45-minute session of hookah tobacco smoking (tobacco molasses) delivers slightly less tar
Tar (tobacco residue)

Tar is the common name for the resinous partially combusted particulate matter produced by the burning of tobacco, cannabis, and other plant material in the act of Tobacco smoking....
 and carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide, with the chemical formula CO, is a colorless and odorless, tasteless, yet highly toxic gas. Its molecules consist of one carbon atom covalent bond to one oxygen atom....
 (around 3-6%) than a full pack of cigarettes.

Some hookah tobaccos claim to contain 0.0% Tar, but this is misleading because tar is a by-product of plant combustion. Tar may not be added to the shisha before smoking, but burning plant material always produces tar. Hookahs are designed to heat rather than burn tobacco, but for smoke to be produced some combustion must take place- although possibly at a slower rate than burning with direct flame.

The level of impact on a smoker's health is linked to the set-up and components of the hookah as well. A hookah only utilizing the basic components listed above is believed to have much harsher health consequences than one set-up properly and with various safety devices installed: Since the tobacco in a hookah is roasted as opposed to burned, the density and temperature of the tobacco may possibly ensure a safer quality of smoke . Distancing somewhat the coal from the tobacco and placing a perforated thermal cover (not to be confused with a wind cover) over the bowl may reduce tar output.

The first ever carried out was published in May 2008. The authors conclude to various levels of carcinogenicity. Reference: Sajid KM, Chaouachi K, Mahmood R. Hookah smoking and cancer. Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) levels in exclusive/ever hookah smokers. Harm Reduction Journal 2008 24 May;5(19)

Hookahs can also be smoked with tobacco-free flavors. There have been few studies to show the impact of smoking herbal flavors in Shisha pipes.

It should be noted that health laws in the UK require that importers and manufacturers must supply the Health Authorities with data on the contents of tobacco products for approval. At this time no Shisha products have been submitted for approval and therefore all those containing tobacco are illegal for sale in the UK

External links

  • , a non-commercial site containing transdisciplinary anthropological (including on origins) and biomedical information and discussions of the above cited scientific studies
  • , by WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation (TobReg).
  • by Chaouachi K. A Critique of WHO's TobReg "Advisory Note" titled: "Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking: Health Effects, Research Needs and Recommended Actions by Regulators. Journal of Negative Results in Biomedicine 2006 (17 Nov); 5:17 (Highly Accessed)
  • (University of Maryland, College Park: June 9, 2008, vol 17, issue 23