As you walk in the dim room, your eyes catch the hour-glass shaped body standing in front of you. The beautiful aroma and haze surrounding this structure begging you to come closer. You can't take your eyes off of it. You can only give in.
No, you are not looking at a beautiful woman. You are looking at a hookah.
Hookahs have become a new social activity for many. Hookah bars are being inhaled by the younger generation in cities such as Sacramento, San Diego and San Jose.
The effect of the hookah is a light-headed, relaxed feeling. The smoke enters the mouth so smoothly, it is hard to know if you are actually inhaling anything. Once you exhale and the plume of smoke clears your lungs, you get a mouthful of flavor.
According to "Questions about smoking, tobacco and health," a pamphlet produced by the American Cancer Society, hookah smoking originated in the Middle East and involves the burning of flavored tobacco, known as shisha, in a water pipe and inhaling it through a long hose. Smoking shisha has recently become popular among young people, especially around college campuses. Chico State and its surrounding area are no exception.
Blaze N J's has increased its stock to make sure everyone who wants a hookah, has a hookah.
"People want them," said Chaz Chadbourne, an employee of Blaze N J's. "It's all about demand, dude."
On top of the hookah is the bowl that contains the shisha. The bowl is covered by a special type of foil (see Smoke Screen) to separate the shisa from the coal. A coal is used to evaporate the shisha, the smoke that is inhaled. Before the smoke hits a person's mouth, it passes through the water in the base of the hookah, cooling it and making it pleasant to smoke.
The hookah has a lot of people looking at it in many different lights. Doctors are wondering about the health effects, while many others are looking at it as a relaxed state of mind.
Matt Wolpin can be reached at
mwolpin@mail.csuchico.edu
Other stories in the series:
Smoke screen: Find out if there are any health risks involved with smoking a hookah
A bar with no alcohol: Learn about some California hookah bars
Hookah facts: Find out the costs of owning a hookah and learn some tasty recipes.
Be the first to comment on this article!