Hanging With A Hookah

Los Angeles Times ^ | Nov. 25, 2007 | JANET CROMLEY

[fight_truth_decay]

Water-pipe bars are proliferating, and health experts fear the consequences..

Want to put away the cigarettes and talk with some interesting people? Go to a hookah bar, says Aaron Alu as he takes a leisurely puff from a glass water pipe at the Mirage Coffeehouse and Hookah Lounge in Long Beach, Calif.

Apple-scented smoke drifts in the air as the police officer looks around genially. "I get to talk to people here that I otherwise wouldn't ever get to know." One patron looks up from her laptop and nods in agreement. "I'm sure it's not great for you," Alu adds, "but it got me to quit smoking cigarettes."

Although not even hookah fans suggest that smoking tobacco through a water pipe is healthful, many contend that drawing the smoke through the water removes some of the harmful chemicals. Scientists, however, point out that although the hookah might filter out some irritants, the smoke nevertheless contains high levels of nicotine, carbon monoxide and other toxic chemicals. The trouble is, they can't say exactly how unhealthful it is, particularly compared with cigarettes.

The potential risks, or relative safety, of hookah smoking has taken on added relevance as hookah bars have begun to sprout up across the United States in recent years.

There are more than 400 hookah cafes, according to an online database of hookah bars, with half in California, Illinois, New York, Arizona and Florida

[fight_truth_decay]

Hookah Bars are common in Iran.

[HerrBlucher]

Tell em a hookah smoking caterpillar has given you the call.....

[edcoil]

Since you cannot smoke virtually anywhere in public due to the smoking nazi’s, why are these allowed?

[fight_truth_decay]

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

[mamelukesabre]

Oh that thing looks real practical /s

[Drew68]

Since you cannot smoke virtually anywhere in public due to the smoking nazi’s, why are these allowed?

Because they're trendy and multicultural?

[tomnbeverly]

OBAMA’s foreign policy sharing a Hookah with the Kookah named Amadmanjihad.

[L98Fiero]

“The trouble is, they can’t say exactly how unhealthful it is, particularly compared with cigarettes.”

Uh-huh. Riiiiight.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

Water cooled smoke.

[fight_truth_decay]

Hookah Tobacco Flavor Guide:

Mint & Rose
Apple & Rose
Mint & Lemon
Strawberry Margarita: mixiing a shot of tequila in the base
http://www.hookahlounge.net/hookah-flavors.php

[fight_truth_decay]

For your smokers’ ping

Might be a ‘wicked’ investment up there in the good old state of Maine; but with ‘theyah’ pronounciation of ‘Lobstah’, ‘Hookah’ might just confuse the natives a bit when you go to hang up your sign.

Ayuh!

[boop]

"One of the concerns the American Lung Association has about any kind of social smoking is that it's a possible gateway to cigarette smoking,"

These people don't know how ridiculous this statement is. It's Reefer Madness, only now it's ...... CIGARETTES!

[WorkingClassFilth]

Opium dens can’t be far behind.

[diverteach]

Just a bong with a hose.

[mamelukesabre]

I don’t think so. There’s way more exotic stuff than opium to put in those things.

[eyedigress]

Add Lavergne,TN to the list. Phhht.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Just a bong with a hose.

Ewwww.... How provincial.

A bong is a hookah wthout a hose! History didn't start in 1960 and leave it to the hippies to wreck everything....

[Global2010]

Yep that is also known as having some hubbly bubbly in the Middle East.

[~Peter]

Sad to say, but my sister was a hookah.

[rogue yam]

Want to put away the cigarettes and talk with some interesting people?

Right. Who could be more interesting than some trend-surfing hipster twit?