Bongs share much in common with hookah pipes using, as they do, water as a filter system for the smoke from tobacco and various plant products, as well as cooling it for a more comfortable smoking experience.

Bongs originated in Thailand and Laos, in the Far East, where the name covers most forms of tubular bamboo structures which were originally cut from bamboo shoots. These days in the West, bongs are widely available in many different materials from specialist suppliers. Glass bongs are preferred because of the purity of the smoke produced, without any derivatives from the construction material, but you can also get them made from wood, and acrylic bongs are very popular because it is more difficult to break them than is the case with glass bongs. Roor bongs, made from hand-blown glass, are a top of the range make, and are often collected because of their elegance as well as functionality.

Vaporizers are widely considered the safest way of inhaling herbal compounds and mixtures, as the material is vaporized short of ignition, avoiding the production of smoke and its dangerous toxins.

The hookah originated in India and is part of the culture throughout the Middle East but recently it has gained popularity in Europe, Australia, North America and Brazil. One of the more popular hookahs types is known as the Malabar hookah and comes from the city of Koyilandy.

The hookah has a number of alternative names: in Arabic the pipe is referred to as a shisha and this is the most common name used in the Persian Gulf states. Meanwhile, Islamic countries close to the eastern Mediterranean such as Turkey, Cyprus, Jordan and Syria enjoy a narghile. In Croatia and Albania the hookah is a Lula, while in Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina the pipe is called a nargile.

Hookah pipes are most common in the Arab world, where the smoking of flavoured tobacco has entered their tradition and culture. It is estimated that Arabs are the biggest users of shisha pipes worldwide. Nearly all cafés offer shisha smoking and the cafés are the centre of Arab social life, being likened to the bars and pubs in the Western world.
 
Because of the increase in smoking bans across Europe and North America, many hookah cafés have begun to offer a smoking experience by using non-tobacco mu’assel, a mixture of molasses and honey.

Determine the way you are going to use the hookah pipe.  Will you be using it to smoke cannabis, herbals and plant materials (legal highs), or regular loose tobacco?

Size really does matter.  If you are only going to use it by yourself, than a smaller one will be sufficient.  Otherwise, purchase a multi-user style to accommodate a group of smokers.  Additionally, where the size factor is concerned, you want to make sure that you have sufficient storage space so that you can keep it out of the reach of children and pets.

Glass is the preferred material for the bowl base.  However, acrylic models are now emerging throughout the market and are increasing in popularity because of their price and the fact that they do not break or crack as easily as the glass-based ones do.

For the beginner, there are a lot of first time buyer deals available online, making it more affordable than ever to get started with this type of smoking venue.  There are numerous value packages available so that your purchase includes the hookah pipe, the accessories, and even the tobacco in some instances.

The hookah utilises water to filter smoke from herbal mixtures with indirect heat, thus creating a unique and enjoyable legal smoking experience.

The hookah has a range of titles depending on where in the world it is being used. For example in Turkey and most of the Middle East it is called a nargeela. Alternatively, in Egypt it is called a shisha and the content is referred to as moassel.

Throughout the Arab world the hookah is smoked as part of the region’s culture and tradition. Hookah smoking in social settings is very common in these areas and is often done with single or double hoses. Hookah smoking in Arab social settings carries with it certain social niceties that are observed, such as placing the hose on the table after smoking to signal to the other smokers that the pipe is available. Alternatively, if the pipe is simply being passed from one smoker to the next, it is handed with the mouthpiece folded back, and not pointing in the direction of the recipient. The recipient takes the hookah and gently slaps the person he received it from as a sign of respect and thanks.

Hookahs are often called shishas, from the Persia word for glass or bottle. Hookah pipes come in various styles, known as Syrian and Egyptian hookahs, and one can easily find travelling hookahs and custom-designed hookahs. A conventional hookah is made of blown glass and is usually decorated elaborately with bits of enamel or gold paint, porcelain, silver, carved stones, or pieces of leather.

Legal herb smoking, through hookahs, pipes, and bongs, is big business these days. A whole line of accessories exists for the hookah, including metal tongs and special charcoal that can burn for a half hour or more. Legal herbs are smoked most often in social groups. When this is the case, the hookah is not passed around; instead, it is simply set down between uses to allow other smokers to take a turn.

You can visit a hookah bar either alone or with your friends, but it would be easier if you bring your buddies along so that you can feel comfortable, especially if it is your first time. Having said that, it is also a good idea to mingle once you’re in a hookah bar, since you can use the topic of hookah smoking to strike up conversations with strangers.

Before smoking the hookah, make sure you blow into the hose to flush out the stale smoke. You can also put some ice in the hookah bowl to lower the temperature of the smoke so that it feels cooler on the throat. The mechanism of hookahs allow for you to mix different materials and flavours in the bowl. This can also serve as a conversation piece, as you can swap tobacco combinations with other willing patrons. You can also fill the hookah bowl with fresh water to eliminate smoke resins and tobacco debris left there from the hookah’s previous use. This ensures that the smoke will be fresher and its flavour fuller.

The hookah bar itself presents a whole new experience, especially for newcomers. It carries a fog-filled ambiance, reminiscent of exotic lands, and the scent will hardly ever make you nauseous, unlike ordinary methods of smoking. The introduction of hookah pipes and hookah bars has paved the way for people with similar interests to bond and converse while have a good smoke.

The most frequently used substance in a hookah is a mixture of tobacco and a sweet substance, like honey, semi-dried fruit or molasses, in a 1:2 ratio. At first, tobacco was mixed with one of these sweet substances to form ‘jurak’, a flavourless and moistened tobacco. There are also experimental flavoured tobaccos produced by Egyptian tobacco companies to sell more products, especially to women. One of these is ‘shisha’, a fruit-flavoured tobacco which started in the late 1980s. At present, shisha tobacco is available in many flavours, such as strawberry, cappuccino, mint, apple, melon or mango.

From multiple hoses, the hookah’s design has led to one filtration chamber. This is to simplify the use by groups, since numerous hoses will reduce suction and smokers have to cover up their mouthpiece if it’s not in use. The hookahs with multi-hoses are well-liked in the Western countries, where hookah smoking became a social trend. However, hookahs with multi-hoses are not common in Africa and Asia. In Arab society, smokers use a singe-hose hookah. When one smoker is done, the hose is either placed on the table or handed to the next user.

Traditionally, hookahs are decorated to provide a distinctive appearance. Hookahs display similarities to the traditional American Indian peace pipe.

First, go to a department store or any hardware store and look for a coated cooling rack that is rectangular in shape. The rack must be approximately 16 inches long and 11 inches wide. These racks are intended to cool cakes, bread, casseroles, pies, and other dishes. They vary in colour such as red, white, black, and chrome.

Second, you must decide the place where you will hang the pipe rack. You may hang it on a wall in your office, in your house, or on the back of a display cabinet.

Third, you must make two marks that are nine inches apart on the wall. To ensure that the marks are of the same height, use a level in making such marks. At the marks, screw the two cup hooks so that the hooks’ open side are up. On the hook, vertically hang the rack so that the cross bars will be parallel to the floor.

Lastly, the first row of the pipes’ stem must be inserted between the two cross bars. With the bowls up, you must hang the stem pipes straight and bend them with the bowls down. In order to hang five or six rows on the rack, space the pipes.

There are things that you will need in cleaning hookah pipes: toothpick, test-tube brush, rock salt, and rubbing alcohol. First, slowly dismantle the hookah into pieces. Wash the bowl and get a toothpick and carefully get rid of the dry and burnt tobacco hidden in the holes of the bowl. Rinse all the particles in the pipe, using the test-tube brush to easily clean spaces that are hard to reach.

Another way is to pour a cup of salt and water inside the hookah. Leave it for a few minutes, and then start shaking it, so that the rock salt will remove tobacco grime inside it. After this, you can now remove the water and salt by rinsing the base thoroughly. Introducing air forcefully will completely remove built-up ashes inside the hookah hoses. Warm water can be used by running it through these tubes. The mouthpiece must be cleaned using alcohol and warm water before using it again. Finally, before reassembling the parts make sure that all are completely dry.

Always remember that the best way of cleaning hookah pipes is by placing potable water in the pipe’s base prior to a smoking session. The water filters the smoke, which is why it quickly becomes dirty. Never try to use any kind of soap on the hookah because it can contaminate the flavour of the smoke. If rock salt is preferred to be used, it is advised to rinse the hookah a couple of times.

Hookah tobacco smoking is considered to produce a smoother and more flavourful smoke. Shisha smoking is usually believed to have less damage to health than cigarettes. Research has shown that because tobacco is heated it produces fewer carcinogens in the smoke. Furthermore, there is less risk of addiction in hookah smoking. However, a published review in the medical journal, ‘Paediatrics’, states that the absorption of the addictive and cancer-causing substances in hookah pipes may be of an equal amount to that of cigarette smoking. The reason for this is that the high temperature involved is enough to produce carcinogenic nitrosamines, and the burning charcoal adds a quantity of carcinogenic hydrocarbons and heavy metals to the smoke.

The use of a hookah may increase the exposure of smokers to toxins. Studies have shown that the usual hookah smoker spends more time in smoking than other smokers, probably because the hookah smoke is less irritating.

One of the studies has cited that self-lighting charcoal may be a major hazard for hookah smokers because it generates more carbon monoxide and other dangerous substances than natural charcoal. For those individuals who cannot avoid smoking a hookah, they should discontinue using dangerous self-lighting charcoal. It is recommended to use natural charcoal in the traditional way of hookah smoking.