Today there is no person who does not know what a hookah is. The secret to hookah success is that it is beautiful and exotic. The history of the hookah is interesting and entertaining. Smoking a hookah is harmless and enjoyable. Increasingly, they choose it as a gift or souvenir, because it can serve as an interior decoration, become an individual favorite of its owner and give a pleasant pastime to the company.
The origin and history of the hookah
No one can say exactly where and when the hookah appeared. Evidence and written references to hookah smoking are sufficient in ancient manuscripts. The history of the hookah in the world was divided into several versions, and each is reasonably well reasoned. We will consider them briefly.
Indian version
The most common version is that hookah and its smoking traditions originated in India. Hindus used this device for medicinal and meditative purposes. In medical practice, the filler - hashish and various herbs - acted as an anesthetic. The tradition of meditation for smoking a hookah is also provided for hash filler.
Externally, the ancient Indian hookah consisted of a shell of a coconut palm tree Narghile. Hence one of the names of the hookah - nargile. The pulp was removed, two holes were made. In the middle was placed hash and resin, which provided the combustion process. A bamboo stick was inserted into one of the holes.
And today in the markets of India you can buy hookahs with bowls of coconut.
From India, the hookah with its traditions spread to the regions of the Middle East and Egypt. The history of the hookah in the eastern countries continued; it improved and acquired new features.
American version
The second, quite interesting version is related to the Aztecs and Mayans. Some researchers associate the emergence of a smoking device, which became the original image of a hookah, with the pipe of the world of American tribes and claim that they began to use a pumpkin to pass smoldering smoke. There is a rather significant opinion in scientific circles that the history of hookah, tobacco and its smoking got to India and Africa long before the discovery of the American continent by Europeans.
Hookah smoking in Russia
To the greatest pleasure, our country does not fight for primacy in the invention of a hookah. The history of hookah in Russia begins in the 90s of the last century, when a mass tourist visit by our fellow citizens of the countries of the Middle East, Turkey and Egypt began.
Of course, before that, Arabs and Syrians, who came to the USSR to study, brought hookahs with them. The proof that it was Iranians and Pakistanis who introduced the Russians to this device is the name itself. The word "galyan" means "boiling" and sounds by ear like a hookah. By the way, only residents of the countries of the former USSR call this device so. In Egypt, he will be called nargil, Arabs - shisha, and Indians - nargil.
What you need to know about the device
The history of the hookah, the rules of smoking have changed, but the form has remained the same. Modern hookah - the device is as versatile and compact as possible. It consists of three main parts:
- flask with liquid;
- the upper part, including saucers, shafts and bowls;
- hose and mouthpiece.
The materials that are used to make hookahs are various and diverse. Usually made of copper, there are gold and even original ones made of clay.
Another main ingredient is soaked tobacco. It is called maasel, it does not contain many components, glycerin and various additives.
You can not do without special coal - chemical or natural.
The flask connects all the components of the hookah and can be filled with water, alcohol, milk or juice.
Harm or benefit?
You need to start with the fact that a hookah, pipe or cigarette is absolutely not important. The history of the hookah, when the filler was hash in the past, but tobacco took root well in this tradition. When smoking mixtures containing nicotine, a person develops physical and psychological dependence. Physiologically, this is a "nicotine hunger" of a smoker, when the body gets used to a certain level of nicotine in the blood and requires its replenishment. We will not write about the psychology of addiction - everyone knows that.
In addition to nicotine, the composition of any tobacco includes various resins that settle in the pulmonary glomeruli and blood vessels. They become the cause of atherosclerosis and act as carcinogens that can provoke oncological diseases.
Compared to smoking cigarettes or cigars, hookah makes a smoker increase his cravings. Accordingly, the smoke penetrates deeper into the lungs and rather harms more.
Although the specific device of the hookah with the passage of smoke through the aquatic environment reduces the amount of tar in the inhaled air. In addition, the smoke becomes moist and not hot - it does not irritate the airways so much. It is these facts that give an occasion to hookah smokers to argue that this is not as harmful as smoking cigarettes.
Smoking hookah in public places is fraught with infection by a huge number of diseases transmitted by airborne droplets. And this is from herpes to hepatitis. The sterility of all parts of the hookah is difficult, if not impossible. And a sterile disposable mouthpiece is no guarantee of safety.
For the Russian feast, hookah is an accompanying entertainment. If smoking hookah is accompanied by the adoption of alcoholic beverages, then there can be no talk of any benefit or safety.
Passive smokers can experience from their own experience that smoking a hookah does not change the smoke in the room. This means that passive smoking in this case is just as harmful as with other types of tobacco burning.
It is believed that the hour of smoking a hookah is equal to one smoked cigarette. If so, then the hookah, of course, is not so harmful.
It is believed that tobacco for hookah is not so harmful. In fact, any tobacco contains nicotine. Therefore, if you smoke a tobacco-free mixture, then really smoking is not harmful. And it doesn’t matter if hookah is used or something else. Just the ceremony of smoking a hookah in this case is more attractive and bewitching, like the history of the hookah itself.
And interesting facts
Fans and fans of a hookah consider it inadmissible to light cigarettes from coal from a working hookah. This disrupts the rhythm of burning coal.
So, fruit hookahs, popular in Russia, are an invention of Europeans. In Muslim countries, they smoke hookah "on the bowl", and fruit - only for Russian tourists.
The fashion industry has not lost sight of the new fascination of Europeans. Brands appeared with futuristic bowl shapes and offering various gadgets and devices for hookahs (universal strainers, original valves and mouthpieces, diffusers to reduce noise levels and much more).
And most recently, Swedish designers have proposed a new Desvall hookah, worth 60 thousand dollars. Of course, it is made of the finest materials and encrusted with precious stones. But the main amount will be spent by the buyer for the chic and brand.
To smoke or not to smoke?
Each individual makes this decision on his own. If smoking a hookah is a ritual and a sacrament for a smoker, with a long preparation and its traditions, this is one. If unusualness is lost and the ritual has become a commonplace habit, this is different.
The main thing to remember is that in everything you need to know the measure and be guided only by your feelings.