Alice's Introduction to the Hookah

Original drawing from the Alice in Wonderland book

To Hookah or Not to Hookah?

The popular children's book Alice in Wonderland written in 1865 by Lewis Carroll introduced me to the water pipe or hookah.  I remember the clever male looking caterpillar  sitting on a mushroom.  Curious Alice was peering over the top of the mushroom as he smoked the pipe.  For me as a child, this image was fantasy, certainly not my reality.  Today smoking a water pipe is a popular trend among teens and young adults.  Hookah bars are increasingly popular in urban areas and college towns.  It has been estimated that 10% of smokers have tried the hookah.  

Smoking a water pipe is a growing trend among youth.

How did the hookah become popular? We are a country with a mix of cultures.  When people immigrate to America from other countries they bring a bit of their culture with them.   Hookah bars are a popular middle eastern past time.  Smoking a hookah is a time to relax with friends around a water pipe filled with flavored tobacco.  There has been a growing concern that hookah bars will increase the risk of cigarette and marijuana use.  
In a Mayo Clinic article, Dr. Richard Hurt gives the following warnings regarding the popular trend of hookah smoking.  "While research about hookah smoking is still emerging, evidence shows that it poses many dangers:

• Hookah smoke contains high levels of toxic compounds, including tar, carbon monoxide, heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens). In fact, hookah smokers are exposed to more carbon monoxide and smoke than are cigarette smokers.
• As with cigarette smoking, hookah smoking is linked to lung and oral cancers, heart disease and other serious illnesses.
• Hookah smoking delivers about the same amount of nicotine as cigarette smoking does, possibly leading to tobacco dependence.
• Hookah smoke poses dangers associated with secondhand smoke.
• Hookah smoking by pregnant women can result in low birth weight babies.
• Hookah pipes used in hookah bars and cafes may not be cleaned properly, risking the spread of infectious diseases."

To Hookah or not to Hookah?  If you decide to hookah, consider the risks.  Remember smoking with friends at a hookah bar is not the same as taking a five minute cigarette break.  Sitting around a hookah water pipe leads to longer periods of inhaling the flavored smoke.   Smoking a hookah water pipe may lead some people to experiment with marijuana or other drugs.  Be wise and educate yourself on the dangers that lead to substance abuse.  

To learn more about drug abuse and addiction go to www.stages2change.com