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Hookah Tobacco; View all
Hookah tobacco burns ina unique way. In a hookah,
the mixture of tobacco is not directly burnt, but is heated
to a low temperature using lit coals or an electric device
(as in Saudi Arabia and other countries of the Persian Gulf).
These coals usually rest on a metal mesh or perforated aluminum
foil which covers a clay or metal bowl containing the hookah
tobacco preparation, although traditional smokers sometimes
place the coals directly upon the maassel, producing a stronger
smoke. When a user inhales through the hose, pressure differences
cause air to rush into the hookah through its only open point
- the head where the maassel is lit. This causes the coals
to heat up, heating the hookah tobacco in turn, and producing
smoke.
The smoke
then enters the body of the hookah,
and running down through the pipe inside the body it is pulled
into a receptacle of water which is affixed (airtight) to the
bottom of the device. The receptacle, made of glass or metal,
contains water which filters and cools the smoke. This main-pipe
goes underneath the waterlevel, and smoke is pulled out through
it directly into the water, bubbling back up into the top of
the receptacle (the smoke chamber) which is initially empty.
The smoker
inhales this smoke through a long hose connected
directly to the smoke chamber. The hose is usually either of
a metal coil wrapped in cloth, or otherwise a plastic hose,
either version often ending with a metal or wooden mouthpiece.
The filtration is suggested to filter out, in part, tar and
nicotine from the tobacco. However, most brands of hookah tobacco
generally contain a mention saying "no tar" and very
small amounts of nicotine (.05%). These figures probably refer
to measurements carried out using a low-frequency "inhaling"
machine (as in the case of shared smoking). Tar production
increases with frequency.
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