Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Smoking is smoking

Just read a good article on smoking hookah. Thought I'd share my thoughts on it with you all.

I only wish other sites would be moderate and not shaking the “Hookah can be worse than cigarettes” card. That’s like saying stabbing someone can be more deadly than shooting someone. The relativity is absolute. Smoking a hookah is relative… It certainly isn’t “idiot proof” as cigarettes are. When preparing a hookah it is important to know the safest ingredients. Although the world health association can say that smoking hookah does X, They certainly don’t mention that some products are more harmful than others. Hookah smoking relies on all of the fallowing:

Charcoal selection: The most important ingredient which health choice can play into effect is the charcoal selection. Instant lights, sadly, have become the popular commodities for getting the bowls hot. Instant light charcoals contain a metal film which gets ultra hot when ignited from another flame source such as a lighter. The foil contains heavy metals and other toxins that should not be smoked. Instant lights also carry a nasty stench, habitual smokers may not notice the smell (taste). Of all charcoals, coconut coals are BY FAR THE BEST COALS IN THE WORLD. They burn tasteless abd smooth with no bad odor. They also burn longer than any other coal and leave only 5%, by volume, ash.

Temperature Control: The temperature which the shisha “bakes” at can prevent the oxidation of the shisha. Generally “smoking” a hookah does not turn the tobacco to ash, it merely bakes the tobacco. As with baking with an oven, too much temperature can singe and make the flavor not nearly as enjoyable. Lower temperatures produce less oxidation and thus less carcinogens. Ideally for health concerns one would use a hookah as a vaporizer more than say a tobacco pipe where the tobacco is directly lit by open flame. Not only is the type of charcoal important so is the airflow control.

Airflow Control: The airflow control simply means controlling how much air flows passed the charcoal (further heating the charcoal) carrying the heat through the shisha (flavored tobacco) and drawing the smoke through the water due to atmospheric pressure rising through the water, stem, hose and into the mouth

As for addiction… Hookah smoking is nothing like lighting a cigarette. There is by no means a convenient way to prepare a hookah in less than a few minutes. The preparation of a hookah takes time and care. It is certainly a ritual which, because of the lack of convenience, occurs on occasion.

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