Hookah

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>Hazards of hookah</p>

<p>Studies have shown that hookah pipes pose hazards similar to smoking cigarettes.
Although the water bowls filter the smoke, smokers still inhale tar and nicotine.
Hookah has been reported to cause oral, esophageal and lung cancer, as well as heart disease and nicotine addiction. </p>

<p>Hookah water pipes are not safe to smoke. The water does not filter out all the toxins, and the nicotine is addictive. Several types of cancer and gum disease have been linked to hookah smoking. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?68/88771%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.collegeconfidential.com/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?68/88771&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.rdoc.org.uk/smoking_hookah_risks.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.rdoc.org.uk/smoking_hookah_risks.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-12-28-hookah-trend_x.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-12-28-hookah-trend_x.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hookah/AN01265%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hookah/AN01265&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Although many believe that the water in the hookah filters out all the "bad stuff" in the tobacco smoke, this isn't true. According to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) advisory, a typical one-hour session of hookah smoking exposes the user to 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette. Even after passing through the water, the tobacco smoke produced still contains high levels of toxic compounds, including carbon monoxide, heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens). Hookah smoking also delivers significant levels of nicotine — the very addictive substance in tobacco.</p>

<p>If you need to tell yourself its safe, well then you just do that.....but don't think others are stupid enough to believe it</p>

<p>Its not safe, its bad for you and when your get this, then maybe you will say, oh gee, not such a good idea</p>

<p>ttp://<a href="http://www.wsdha.com/filestore/Smoker%20with%20Advanced%20Periodontal%20Disease.jpg"&gt;www.wsdha.com/filestore/Smoker%20with%20Advanced%20Periodontal%20Disease.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.joponline.org/doi/abs/10.1902/jop.2005.76.11.1919%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.joponline.org/doi/abs/10.1902/jop.2005.76.11.1919&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>That's all bull****. It all is. Let's destroy all that point by point.</p>

<p>I smell fantastic all the time. After Hookah, I smell like fruit. Nothing else that I smoke clings to my skin or my clothes. I have very expensive designer cologne I use... I smell very delightful allt he time.</p>

<p>My teeth are white as can be. I take fantastic care of them. I have dental insurance and I get my teeth professionally cleaned when I'm supposed to. </p>

<p>My hair is also fantastic. Shampoo and Conditioner everyday. Another moot point.</p>

<p>My skin... as you may have guessed, also fantastic. I see a dermatologist. I can assure you that my skin is much more healthy than the average person.</p>

<p>Your close mindedness is slightly amusing... calling me gross, without ever having seen me. The ad hominem attacks against smokers just get old. I wanted to discuss this topic in peace with people who also enjoyed it occasionally without hearing from the "OMG OMG SMOKING IZ DIZGUSTZING UR GROSS AND STUPID!!!11!!" peanut gallery.</p>

<p>I don't smoke in my own house, and I never will even when I own my own home. I will always do it outside or at a venue dedicated to it. </p>

<p>Sorry, I know a lot of beautiful and classy girls who do find it attractive. If a girl is so controlling that she won't allow me to smoke once every week or so, then she really won't have a place in my life. Guess that's my only-child complex.</p>

<p>And calling me stupid is ridiculous. I am a national merit scholar, I am very strong in the arts and the humanities. I play the bass at a semi-professional level. I could go to music school (and a good one at that) if I wanted, but I'm not. I'm a very multi-talented individual and a very successful person. Just because I smoke a pipe or cigar occasionally does not make me any less of a person.</p>

<p>And to return to the earlier format of this post... yes, my breath is fantastic. After hookah I don't bother doing anything to it because my mouth tastes like strawberry... hookah has no tobacco aftertaste. I would never smoke a pipe or cigar before a date. I'm not stupid. I love the cigar aftertaste... but it's nothing a stick of gum won't fix.</p>

<p>As for you, you need to get over it. You are using the views and culture of cigarette smoking against things that just aren't anything like cigarettes. Cigarettes have chemicals in them to make them addictive... Pipe tobacco and cigars do not. The average pipe/cigar smoker and the average cigarette smoker are usually very different. </p>

<p>High class society throughout history has for the most part always enjoyed smoking responsibly. I'm just perpetuating that tradition.</p>

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<p>Everyone knows smoking is bad for you. I don't smoke and I never will, but I'm probably gonna be the one with the second-hand smoke lung cancer because TONS of my friends smoke. The only 3 guys I've ever dated all smoked something (cigarettes and cigars). They know it's bad and they do it anyway. My dad has cirrosis of the liver from being an alcoholic but I still drink because I like it. It's the same thing. </p>

<p>I would much rather be around hookah or cigar smoke because it smells better, but some of my friends smoke cigarettes too and I'm okay with that. I've said my piece to them about it not being good for them and now I'm done.</p>

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<p>While that may be the case, citygirlsmom, no one's denying the fact that hookah is bad for you (although some are saying that the water is a good filter.) My personal reasons for smoking hookah is that a hookah bar is an interesting, exotic, sophisticated enviornment. That and the fact that I don't chain hookah--only smoking once every few months sort of qualifies the idea that it really isn't quite that bad for you. And yes, a session of hookah is a lot more damaging than a cigarette (someone had said that it was 100 times more smoke, but all the sources I've been able to find have said it's more like the equivalent of 9 cigarettes,) but in my case as well as the case of most of the posters here, we don't do it constantly. It's very recreational.</p>

<p>The only reason I even bother to post here is that your previous post, while well founded, was extremely judgemental and actually sort of offensive. You find smokers to be stupid? What about drinkers? And people who eat McDonalds? Those are all actions that are pleasureable but have clear negative consequences. However, if they're done in moderation, they're not nearly as damaging as you'd stated. I think that the statistic that says hookah is X times worse for you than cigarettes is striking only when it's assumed that one smokes hookah as often as one smokes cigarettes. And the vast majority of the time, this isn't the case.</p>

<p>And again, I will say that I appreciate you're opinion. You are definitely right in saying that hookah is not good for you. However, the way you presented it was a bit innappropriate and offensive to those that do smoke hookah. I'm sorry that you think we're stupid. To write people off for something like recreational smoking is a sweeping, and in fact unfounded generalization. I hope you will be a bit more courteous when addressing this issue in the future.</p>

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<p>See, AUlostchick is like most of my friends. She is tolerant. I respect someone's decision not to smoke, and I would never press it onto them. I respect people like her immensely. They don't go around telling me to not smoke or anything. People who go out on rants on why other people shouldn't smoke remind me of the peta fundies I hate. Throwing paint on fur coats. They try to press their beliefs on everyone else. If you believe something, that's great, good golly gosh! If you don't, then that's fine too, just don't go on a vendetta to change the world.</p>

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<p>Smoking, /imo/, is nasty, but people that do it aren't stupid.
What's stupid is all the laws that are coming into affect prohibitting (sp) smoking. It's illegal in my county to smoke in you own car if you have a child with you, yet you're allowed to take a child to a fast-food joint. :confused:</p>

<p>Even more, smokers (of cigarettes) pay TONS of taxes for healthcare, yet they then have to pay higher rates for their own healthcare... :confused:</p>

<p>again, I'm not a smoker, I don't like it (and occasionally I'm offended when people smoke in confined spaces around me), but the laws that are coming into affect are amazingly biased and unfair, as well as many of the things that have been said on this thread.</p>

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<p>wow, defending your nasty little habits </p>

<p>smokers don't know they smell bad becuase they can't smell much</p>

<p>and deny allllll you want the medical risks, go ahead, deny science if you feel yu must, but you know yuo aren't being honest</p>

<p>smoking with a child in a car is cruel, selfish and deadly, but heck, let parents do it</p>

<p>wow, I am really saddend that young people can be so naive and stupid about smoking</p>

<p>you want to know the truth- most adults, and I am one of them, has little respect for a person who smokes- I would say ALL of my friends don't want to be around anyone who is smoking, we laugh at the idiots who stand in the alley in the cold getting their fix</p>

<p>the science is REAL, and here is the rub</p>

<p>when you are doing hookah, you are surrounded by smoke for say an hour, when you smoke a cigarette, maybe 10 minutes, so it has a way of "evening" out</p>

<p>IF you like to smoke, go for it, but it does not make you look sexy, or grown up, or charming, or classy- </p>

<p>And it wasn't what I said, it was what dentists,scienctist, researchers and people from around the world have said</p>

<p>As for "beliefs"- well science is not a belief, it is a FACT</p>

<p>as for PETA, I think fur is cruel and do not buy anything from stores that sell it</p>

<p>how is it amazingly unfair to show you the science? wow, if you need to debunk science yo make you feel better about a stupid choice of actiivity, guess you are pretty darn weak</p>

<p>so, who here has proudly told mom and dad that you are using tobacco?</p>

<p>and if you told me they saiid, sure, its cool, they are not good parents or you are lying, like the people who lie about being a smoker and not smelling bad</p>

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<p>As for my post being offensive, so what? You want people to just let it go that you are hurting yourself on purpose? Yeah I find smokers to be stupid.</p>

<p>Smoking is different from having a glass of wine or a cocktail or a beer, which have been shown that in moderation are not harmful nor addictive to the majority of people</p>

<p>when you know people who have lung cancer, and have died, gee, sorry if we don't want young people to die, how thoughtless of me</p>

<p>Just becuase something is a tradition does not mean it is good for you</p>

<p>the studies in the Arab countries with hookah smokers shows that</p>

<p>offensive and inappropriate, fine whatever you need to say to justify being angry at someone who is showing you the facts</p>

<p>and ps</p>

<p>saying water is a filter, eh, not so true</p>

<p>but go ahead, go tell mommy and daddy you are smoking, make them proud of you decision making and independence to do something so smart, and go encourage your little brothers and sisters to light up</p>

<p>as well, most of the people I know who do smoke have quit over and over again, and the most vehement anti smokers I know are former smokers</p>

<p>I would right of the person if they smoked, but I do think to start up and smoke is,yes stupid and people who do are stupid</p>

<p>I think people that decide, wow today is the day to try meth, well they are stupid....why bother taking that first hit, when you KNOW it is addictive and harmful....just don't understand</p>

<p>I understand the addiction that happens, but why do people start in the first place</p>

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<p>ANd smoking and drinking are NOT the same thing</p>

<p>Alcohol is not shown to be as addictive as nicotine, which is as addictive as heroin</p>

<p>Having a glass of wine at dinner is not the same as lighting up a cigarette</p>

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<p>can we please go back on subject?</p>

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<p>back on subject, but this is the subject, the joy of hookah smoking and all its benefits, and how much fun and rewarding it is and safe....isn't that the sujbect</p>

<p>lets throw in the fun stuff of hepetitis and tuberculosis</p>

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<p>I'm just going to ignore her posts, she's ignoring what I say and just goes off on her own little rants. If I wanted to hear that crap I'd go watch a truth commercial.</p>

<p>I tried cherry and orange hookah last night. Neither were as good as strawberry. Now that I got the hang of it, I'll probably wait a month or so before going again. </p>

<p>I still want to get one for my apartment though, haha. I'm sure some good times could come out of that.</p>

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<p>I'm not saying it isn't bad, I know it is.</p>

<p>So is a lot of the crap I do. But I still do it. I know the risks. Responsibility is the key. I am not addicted to tobacco. I enjoy it occasionally but I never "need a fix." </p>

<p>My parents are both obese. I am not. I think that has a lot more health risks than smoking occasionally.</p>

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<p>Hookah is fun. I wouldn't call it safe and I certainly wouldn't delude myself by saying that it's healthier than regular cigarette smoking. Smoking of any kind is bad for you. (I didn't pass 1st grade for nothing :)). I do think that life is a balance, though. Without any risk at all, life would be boring. I could live on tofu and lima beans my whole life and only drink bottled water, but why bother? I'll take the occasional fast food run or hookah outing.</p>

<p>My parents are fine with it, and they're really strict. Consistent with their beliefs (and common sense) I do avoid smoking cigarettes. Waste of life. Hookah and kreteks are much more enjoyable. I like hookah because it's more intensely social than hanging out over some beer or Marlboros (neither of which I enjoy as much). And the taste is great! Do any other hookah enthusiasts here like kreteks (clove cigarettes)?</p>

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<p>Here are some FUN hookah facts, guess what makes it so attractive:</p>

<p>Hookahs are marketed as being a safe alternative to cigarettes. This claim is false. </p>

<p>The water does not filter out many of the toxins. In fact, hookah smoke has been shown to contain concentrations of toxins, such as carbon monoxide, nicotine, "tar," and heavy metals, that are as high or higher than are seen with cigarette smoke. </p>

<p>Several types of cancer, including lung cancer, have been linked to hookah smoking. </p>

<p>Hookah is also linked to other unique risks not associated with cigarette smoking. For example, infectious diseases including tuberculosis (which can infect the lungs or other parts of the body), aspergillus (a fungus that can cause serious lung infections), and helicobacter (which can cause stomach ulcers) may be spread by pipe sharing or the uncontrolled, manual preparation of the tobacco used</p>

<p>Even after smoke passes through hookah water it contains high levels of toxic compounds including carbon monoxide, heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals (Tobacco Control, 2004; Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 1993).</p>

<p>Using a waterpipe hookah is not a safe alternative to cigarette smoking (Journal of Pediatrics, 2005).</p>

<p>Secondhand smoke from waterpipes is a mixture of tobacco smoke in addition to smoke from the fuel and therefore poses a serious risk for non-smokers (Journal of Tobacco Control, 2004).</p>

<p>Sharing a waterpipe hookah poses a serious risk of the transmission of communicable diseases, including tuberculosis and hepatitis (Journal of Pediatrics, 2005).</p>

<p>A typical one-hour long waterpipe hookah session involves inhaling 100-200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette (World Health Organization, 2005).</p>

<p>Hookah smoke produces nearly 100 times more "tar" than cigarette smoke, for each gram of the respective tobaccos (Journal of Food &Chemical Toxicology, 2005).</p>

<p>Hookah users ingest about 100 times more lead from hookah smoke than from a cigarette (City of Berkley Tobacco Prevention Program, 2004).</p>

<p>Hookah smoke is capable of causing breakage of chromosomes, and damaging DNA, thereby causing mutations or cancer (City of Berkley Tobacco Prevention Program, 2004). </p>

<p>Hookah contains nicotine, which is highly addictive
91% of weekly hookah smokers said they could not quit
Hookah smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals
Men can become unfertile due to tobacco smoke
Pregnant women who smoke hookah are at high risk for low-birth-weight babies
The risk of gum disease is 5 times higher than that of non-smokers
Hookah smoke contains significantly high levels of arsenic, lead and nickel
Hookah contains 15 times more carbon monoxide than cigarettes
A single puff of hookah smoke lasts about twice as long as a cigarette puff
Sharing the mouthpiece can lead to diseases such as tuberculosis, mono, and hepatitis</p>

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<p>I am not ignoring what you say, beleive me, it makes me sad, and I am responding to what you say, you find it fun and rewarding...so what? lots of things are fun, but non the less stupid</p>

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<p>Yeah, that's basically it, citygirlsmom: "Must....have...HACK BLOODY COUGH...hookah...<em>dies of AIDS contracted from hookah</em>"</p>

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<p>I like an occasional djarum black. The aftertaste is bad though. The eugenol sure numbs my tongue :P.</p>

<p>One of the only studies ever done on pipe smoking showed that on average, pipe-smokers lived longer than non-smokers. Why? They do it in moderation, and it relieves stress. The stress relieving benefits of smoking outweighed the risks in the study.</p>

<p>I agree though. I'm willing to take some risks in my life. This is one I have chosen to take, and thus far it has been very enjoyable.</p>

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<p>is that what it is? eugenol? Tastes like candy</p>

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<p>One of them. </p>

<p>Profits from Djarum also go to jobless women and children in the village in Indonesia where they are made.</p>

<p>Have you tried any other flavors?</p>

<p>I tried the super (bad) and the Cherry (amazing). Black is probably my favorite though.</p>