Annotation

Knishkowy, MD, MPH, Barry, and Yona Amitai, MD, MPH. “Water-Pipe (Narghile) Smoking: An Emerging Health Risk Behavior.” PEDIATRICS 116 (2005): e113-e116. Print. This informative journal article written by two medical doctors discusses the history, use, and health risks of water-pipe smoking. The article is well crafted and provides a plethora of useful information regarding the revival of hookah smoking around the world. It is written from the prospective of professionals and is unbiased. The health risks involved with narghile smoke is shown and supported with discussion about the content of the tobacco. My research essay can strongly be supported by the facts in this article relating to the popularity associated with water-pipe smoking as well as the statistics shown on health issues that arise from narghile smoke.

Disney Smokes Hookah, So Should You!!

So, I could not believe this little clip of an animated caterpillar smoking hookah in a childs movie. Although, it is Disney so the fact that they would include this in one of their films is not surprising by any means. Despite the fact though it makes me wonder why they decided to put this in the movie. Why wasn't the caterpillar smoking a cigarette, or not smoking at all? I wonder if it is related the fact that it is a "magical" world and hookah is perceived as a somewhat magical experience? Maybe there is no significance to putting this in the movie, maybe they just felt like it. It doesn't really seem like it would even phase kids though, I know when I watched it I didn't say, "Oh look it's hookah!" I wonder since hookah is becoming more popular if kids that watch it in a few years will recognize the device. Johnny Depp is playing in an unanimated remake of Alice and Wonderland, I wonder if they will have a real hookah in the movie?

If you purchase hookah now, we will throw in some alcohol and weed for free!

I recently discovered something that I was not expecting to find in my research. Normally, when people smoke hookah, they put water in the base of the water pipe in order to filter the smoke through it. I have learned though that in some cases people actually add alcohol to the water or just use straight alcohol instead of water. According to some studies, and asking people from personal experience, this gives people a buzz and makes the flavor of the tobacco stronger. People wil add anything from wine to vodka. Upon reading that alcohol can be added to the hookah smoking experience, I also came across the idea of drugs being added to the shisha (tobacco) and then smoked. The most prominant drug that I read about was marijuana. This information was surprising enough BUT when I read on forums that hookah lounge workers can add these substances to the water pipe without the consumer knowing about it, I felt a little bit sick. I then researched that and found that some people have actually been prosecuted for that very thing. It is really scary to think that if you go to a hookah bar or lounge, that someone can add anything they want in your water pipe and you may not even notice. I guess the same thing is true anywhere you go, I mean at restaraunts people can add things to your food, at bars people can add things to your drink. I suppose I find it so fascinating and repulsive because it is something new to our culture and to my knowledge. The dangers of hookah are present in its initial form, but what happens if alcohol and drugs are added? I couldn't find much research on this because I think that it is to new of an idea and no studies have probably been done before. The crazy things that people do.

Interesting Video

Cigarettes Versus Hookah

My grandma grew up during the 1940’s and 50’s when cigarettes were becoming a popular thing in America. Many people would smoke because it was socially accepted and lots of people were doing it. The idea that cigarettes are extremely harmful for the body was an unknown fact at the time. My grandma began smoking when she was only twelve, and continued to do it all through the 40’s and 50’s. By the time she found out of the risk involved, she was already addicted. She finally quit smoking around age 40. We had our first conversation about smoking after she had just been informed that her lung cancer had progressed to stage 4 and she only had about two months left to live. When I heard about how people thought cigarettes were safe for the longest time, it made me wonder about hookah. Do people think that it is safe now, just as people though cigarettes were safe back then? Although hookah doesn’t seem to be as harmful as cigarettes, it is still tobacco which carries bad chemicals no matter how it is used. If people think that hookah is safe, won’t they be more likely to consume more and more of it at once and over a long period of time? If there are dangers associated with hookah, and people consume more because they think it is safe, can’t the effects of that eventually be more harmful than cigarettes were? It makes me wonder if in five or ten years down the road, the negative effects of hookah will be known in our culture, causing a bit of chaos. I know that in India among other countries they have been smoking hookah for many man y years and haven’t seen large medical problems because of it. However, cigarettes also have imposed different effects on different cultures all across the world. So, why? The thought is a little bit scary.

Why the Popularity

I first learned about smoking hookah about a year ago. Although it wasn't very popular at the time, students at my high school were buzzing about this new idea. It wasn't until I got to college that I went to my first hookah bar. In boise, it seems like there is a different hookah bar or lounge everywhere you turn. There are five that I can name just off the top of my head. At the hookah bar, I was surprised to see so many college students sitting around smoking. The lights were dim, music soft, and non-alcoholic drinks and hookah were being consumed in every area of the building. Everyone had said, "It's safe, you don't have to worry. You can't get addicted." Because it was "safe" I tried smoking it. A couple hours later I found myself still sitting there smoking and our group of about 8 turned into about 20. The amount of socializing we were doing all arose from smoking, something that surprised me. It is evident that this is a growing popularity in the United States due to the amount of hookah bars and the amount of people buying and smoking hookah across the nation. But why? There are 470 noted hookah bars in the United States, with an average of 5 being built each month. That is a big number! I have noticed that the popularity of hookah has grown immensely since restaraunts banned smoking in 2003. Maybe the popularity comes from that. Perhaps it is popular among college students because it is "safe" and legal, but somewhat rebellious. It is possible that there are a plethora of things that make smoking hookah popular. However this brings me to question how safe hookah really is. Is it safe just because we are told it is? If people found out that it is in fact harmful, would they continue to do it? Alcohol is harmful yet people continue to do that because of the socialization that is associated with it. In the future, are we going to see hookah continue to grow in America or is it going to diminish and not be socially accepted, similar to what happend with cigarettes?