Spring Break
Lite it up: the joys and negatives of smoking hookah
Students look to smoking hookah as form of social interaction - without considering down side
Nick Ngo
Issue date: 8/8/07 Section: News
Acting like a keg of beer at a party, students can gather around a hookah (a water pipe) to smoke, exchange stories and talk with one another as they puff the night away.
In recent years, smoking hookah has been growing in popularity for many and has been incorporated into the college culture as a social aspect.
With people gathering around the water pipe at parties or out in the quad in front of McNary Dining Center, smoking hookah has become a method of interaction among students.
Tony's Smoke Shop, run by Tony Slokohian, is a store that sells hookah and hookah products in locations such as Portland and Beaverton. On July 6, a local store opened in Corvallis supplying those who take interest in hookah.
The manager of the Corvallis Tony's Smoke Shop who asked not to be named, has witnessed the popularity of hookahs among his peers.
"Huge, it's absolutely huge," he said. "There are tons and tons of people who smoke hookah."
His freshman year, during 2005, he said there were barely any hookahs. Then sophomore year, he said everybody had one.
"The cool thing about hookah is it's something that people can gather around, chat and really relax," Tony said. "You don't get a head high or buzz, hookah is a mellow feeling - it's an experience."
Joey Bauer, a Corvallis resident, has also felt the social impact of smoking hookah locally and while travelling in Europe where he visited various hookah bars.
"It's built to smoke with multiple people," Bauer said. "It's also the taste, [it's] flavorful."
Along with the positives of smoking hookah are the negatives. There have been research and reports referring to the dangers of smoking water pipes.
Malinda Shell, a health educator at Student Health Services, said there are toxins found in the tobacco used in hookahs.
"The tobacco used in hookahs does contain toxins [carbon monoxide, tar, nicotine and heavy metals]," Shell said, "and not all of it is filtered out by the water. The fruit and sweet flavor of the hookah tobacco only masks the toxins.
In recent years, smoking hookah has been growing in popularity for many and has been incorporated into the college culture as a social aspect.
With people gathering around the water pipe at parties or out in the quad in front of McNary Dining Center, smoking hookah has become a method of interaction among students.
Tony's Smoke Shop, run by Tony Slokohian, is a store that sells hookah and hookah products in locations such as Portland and Beaverton. On July 6, a local store opened in Corvallis supplying those who take interest in hookah.
The manager of the Corvallis Tony's Smoke Shop who asked not to be named, has witnessed the popularity of hookahs among his peers.
"Huge, it's absolutely huge," he said. "There are tons and tons of people who smoke hookah."
His freshman year, during 2005, he said there were barely any hookahs. Then sophomore year, he said everybody had one.
"The cool thing about hookah is it's something that people can gather around, chat and really relax," Tony said. "You don't get a head high or buzz, hookah is a mellow feeling - it's an experience."
Joey Bauer, a Corvallis resident, has also felt the social impact of smoking hookah locally and while travelling in Europe where he visited various hookah bars.
"It's built to smoke with multiple people," Bauer said. "It's also the taste, [it's] flavorful."
Along with the positives of smoking hookah are the negatives. There have been research and reports referring to the dangers of smoking water pipes.
Malinda Shell, a health educator at Student Health Services, said there are toxins found in the tobacco used in hookahs.
"The tobacco used in hookahs does contain toxins [carbon monoxide, tar, nicotine and heavy metals]," Shell said, "and not all of it is filtered out by the water. The fruit and sweet flavor of the hookah tobacco only masks the toxins.
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amanda
posted 10/21/09 @ 5:30 AM PST
I think smoking is stupid and it should be banned!!!!!!!
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