Shisha Historical Background

In Arab society, social smoking is done with a single hose. When the smoker is finished, either the hose is placed back on the table signifying that it is free, or it is handed from one user to the next, folded back on itself so that the mouthpiece does not point at the person receiving it. The receiver taps or slaps the giver on the back of the hand while taking it. In cafes and restaurants, however, it is common for each smoker to order an individual hookah.

ü  In Turkey, nargile is done on a social basis, usually in one's home with guests or in a cafe with friends.

ü  In bigger cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and Adana, restaurants may have dinner & nargile specials which includes meal, beverage (alcoholic/non-alcoholic),

ü  Use of the hookah has become popular in Israeli society at large where smoking is already a cultural norm. Hookahs can be found at some coffee houses, restaurants and more recently, at outdoor concerts and nightclubs.

ü  In Iran, the hookah is known as a ghalyun. It is similar in many ways to the Arabic hookah but has its own unique attributes. Use of water pipes in Iran can be traced in to the Qajar period.

ü  "Hookah bars" or cafes have been springing up throughout the United States, especially near college campuses. The use of hookahs is very popular among Muslim college students in America as well, especially those who do not drink. Hookah has become so popular, in fact, that some schools sponsor "Free H In Spain, the use of the hookah has been recently increasing in popularity hookah" events, notably University of California San Diego.

ü  Hookah smoking has also risen in popularity in Germany, particularly in Berlin, where many hookah bars exist due in part to a relatively large Turkish population.

ü  In Sweden, hookah smoking is on the rise.

ü  In South Africa, hookah, colloquially known as a 'hubbly bubbly,' is popular amongst the Cape Malay, Indian and Colored population, where it is smoked as a social past-time. Hookah bars are relatively uncommon, and smoking is normally done at home or in public spaces such as beaches and picnic sites.

ü  In Asia, particularly South and South East Asia the hookah is becoming better known, and cafes and restaurants that offer it as a consumable are popular. Although hookah use has been common for hundreds of years and enjoyed by people of all ages, it has just begun to become a youth-oriented pastime in Asia in recent times. Hookahs are most popular with college students and teenagers, who may be underage and thus unable to purchase cigarettes.