Shisha

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Water pipe

A Shisha (also Sheesha or rarely in German spelling Schischa ) is a water pipe, presumably of Indian, possibly Persian origin. Tobacco with a fruit aroma or similar flavors is usually smoked in the shisha . The smoke is first drawn through a bowl filled with water . This will cool the smoke. Suspended matter and some water-soluble substances in hookah smoke are easily filtered out as they pass through the water. However, this effect is insufficient to protect water pipe smokers from health hazards. Smoking water pipes brings health risks with it.

etymology

The original form of the word is the Persian shish /شيشه/ ' Glass '. This ended up in Turkish ( şişe 'bottle') and Arabic (شيشة schischa , DMG šīša ), where in the North African dialects of Arabic it denotes the glass body of the water pipe and the pipe as a whole. In Turkish, the pipe is called nargile , which comes from the Persian word nargil /نارگیل/ ' Coconut ' and ultimately goes back to the Sanskrit word nārikela (नारीकेल); this also means "coconut" and indicates that the pipe comes from India and was made from coconuts. Names derived from the Turkish name are nardschila  /نرجيلة / narǧīla and arjila  /أرجيلة / arǧīla in the Arabic dialects of the Eastern Mediterranean and Syria and in Hebrew and nargilés (ναργιλές) in Greek . In Arabic there are other names such as argile for certain types of water pipes, e.g. B. in Egypt and Sudan gōza (جوزة juza ' nut ') for a small, portable pipe that is often used for smoking hashish . The Indian name huka ( Urdu حقّہ, Hindi हुक़्क़ा huqqā , from Arabic حقة ḥuqqa  'vessel') was adopted into English (English spelling hookah ).

Regardless of all transcriptions and etymological derivations, the water pipe in Iran (Persia) is usually called Ghalyun (German Kalian or Kaliun).

history

Shishas in a cafe in Tunisia

Shisha is believed to have originated in either ancient Iran or northern India .

The current form probably originated in the Persian Empire in the 15th or 16th century. A community culture developed around the shisha that continues to this day. The shisha also spread to India and much of the Arab world. The shisha became an integral part of the culture in many Arab countries; smoking together was and is still regarded as a symbol of hospitality. During the Mughal period , shisha smoking was part of the culture of the aristocracy in northern India , and it is still popular in large parts of India today.

In the course of colonialism , people from western countries got to know shisha smoking. Since the end of the 20th century, more shisha has been smoked than before. Some consider it an alternative to cigarette smoking . Many European cities have cafes and bars where you can order hookahs. In some places people (especially young people) smoke their shisha in public places, for example in parks.

Smoking paraphernalia

Water pipe tobacco

German water pipe tobacco
Foreign hookah tobacco with 25% moisture content
Three types of shisha tobacco (cherry, honey, chocolate) and a bottle of honey molasses

The water pipe tobacco is a moist tobacco that consists of a mixture of raw tobacco , glycerine and aromas . It is significantly more humid than pipe or cigar tobacco. In Europe in particular, flavored tobacco is smoked in many different flavors. The best-known direction is double apple ( anise - many also interpret it as liquorice ), furthermore for example cherry, mint, orange, lemon, mango, vanilla, banana, cappuccino, caramel, coconut, multifruit, rose, grape, strawberry, peach, Melon and cola. The tobacco industry is constantly creating new and unusual flavors, so there is now basil, cheese and currywurst tobacco.

Well-known producers of tobacco are the Egyptian company Nakhla Tobacco, Al Waha from Jordan as well as Al Fakher , Soex ( nicotine-free tobacco made from sugar cane ) and Şerbetli . Today there are several manufacturers of flavored hookah tobacco.

Tobacco substitutes

There are now a number of manufacturers who offer tobacco substitutes. The basic principle remains the same - a carrier material is soaked in molasses and heated like normal hookah tobacco. Unlike water pipe tobacco, this tobacco substitute does not contain nicotine. Tobacco substitutes are currently available made from volcanic rock, sugar cane, cellulose or in paste form.

Arabic tobacco

In Arab countries, in addition to flavored tobacco, people smoke the much stronger unflavoured tobacco. The user can flavor the tobacco himself by adding honey and dried fruits. Some shisha smokers also fill their bowls with rose water or add special woods to the charcoal. A big difference to the European way of smoking is that in Arabia the unflavored tobacco is smoked without aluminum foil and the coal is placed directly on the tobacco. Images from various scientific publications show that flavored tobacco is used in conjunction with a cover made of aluminum foil, just as it is in Europe.

Imports of tobacco

The traditional water pipe tobacco consists of 20 to 40 percent humectants , which is not permitted under the German Tobacco Ordinance of 1977 , which was valid until 2016 . According to this, smoking tobacco may contain a maximum of five percent humectant. This limit was originally set to protect consumers from stretched pipe tobacco. In 2004, German customs began to ban the import of tobacco that violates this regulation.

Special, drier tobacco has been available for the German market since 2004. As a result, the tobacco produced for the German market differs from one bought abroad, although the consistency of the two is similar. Many smokers moisten it with glycerine from the pharmacy or with molasses. Depending on the tobacco brand, one of the two variants of tobacco moistening is usually better than the other, although mixtures are not uncommon.

On April 4, 2016, the Tobacco Ordinance was replaced by the Tobacco Products Act with the associated Tobacco Products Ordinance. In general, all "additives ... which measurably increase the toxic or addictive effect or the carcinogenic, mutagenic or reproductive properties (CMR properties) when consumed" as well as especially vitamins , caffeine and taurine are prohibited. Humectants are therefore no longer prohibited. However, there is still the problem that the subsequent moistening of pipe tobacco, insofar as it is carried out commercially, represents a manufacturing act for tax purposes and leads to a renewed rise in tobacco tax ( tobacco tax (Germany) ). The Federal Customs Administration has published a leaflet on this, which points out the fundamental problems involved in the trade in water pipe tobacco.

Hookah charcoal

Self-igniting charcoal tablets

The water pipe charcoal (also called fahm ) consists of coconut shell in most countries . Only a few traditional countries smoke with charcoal . There are also self-igniting charcoal tablets that contain small amounts of black powder or magnesium and can be lit with a lighter and glow for about 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the type. These charcoal tablets usually have a unit diameter of 33 or 40 millimeters. The disadvantage of these tablets is an unpleasant aftertaste. Just like the natural charcoal, they must be well annealed.

Natural coal has a high calorific value . Other types of natural charcoal are obtained from orange or olive tree wood . These types of coal are mostly sulfur-free and have a stick or cube shape. Since the natural coals do not contain black powder, they cannot be lit with a lighter. Instead, a hotter heat source such as B. a special coal lighter or a gas cooker is required. Coconut charcoal burns longer and allows the resulting heat to be regulated better.

Combustion products such as carbon monoxide are produced when both types of coal are burned . The water pipe charcoal thus contributes to the health dangers of water pipe consumption. Electric heating of the water pipe bowl can reduce the carbon monoxide exposure of consumers.

construction

bowl
Column of smoke
Standard head
Mini shisha with decorated bowl (total height: 24 cm)

A shisha has the same structure as a chemical washing bottle . There are many varieties of shisha. They can be made of other materials with a collapsible column of smoke and storage plates. The size of the assembled shisha is very different. Shisha cafes mostly offer pipes with heights of 60 to 90 centimeters. So-called mini shishas with a height of up to 40 centimeters are also available. What they all have in common is the structure of at least four parts.

Water vessel

The vessel is called a bowl or vase. It is often decorated and is usually made of glass or acrylic. But there are also manufacturers who make bowls out of wood , clay , carbon or metal . Both the filling quantity and the volume have an influence on the way you smoke. In the meantime, additives for flavoring the water are also offered. The smoke column is plugged or screwed onto the water vessel.

Column of smoke

Column of smoke is generally made of a metal coated with chrome or brass and can be decorated. Some columns of smoke are also made of wood, which often has the disadvantage that after a while they absorb the moisture and start to smell. In the higher-priced sector, smoke columns made of stainless steel and aluminum are also produced. Stainless steel is well suited for this because it absorbs fewer odors and there are no limescale deposits on it. Aluminum has the advantage that it is very light. One or more hoses are attached to the lower part of the smoke column, depending on the type of smoke column. Most hookahs also have a pressure valve on the smoke column to be able to blow out smoke. The head is placed on the column of smoke.

head

The head is a small vessel made of ceramic , glass , pumice stone or metal that has a small recess in which the tobacco is placed. Depending on the preferences of the user, there are very different heads, each of which has a different effect on smoking behavior and the taste of smoke. The smoke can enter the column of smoke through the holes in the heads. In some regions the head is also referred to as a pot or head. There are three main types of head:

Multi-hole head
The most common is the standard head with usually five smaller holes in the head base. The disadvantage of this head is that the molasses easily runs into the smoke column, which does not have a negative effect on the taste, but makes it necessary to clean the smoke column.
Single hole head (phunnel)
In this variant, there is only one hole, which is high above the base of the head and is almost as high as the edge. The tobacco is laid out around the hole here. Due to the design, molasses cannot flow into the smoke column. A modification of the single-hole head is the vortex head, in which several holes are made on the side of the hill in the middle of the head. The Power Bowls and the Super Chief heads represent a kind of combination of standard and single-hole heads. Slightly raised, yet relatively close to the ground, there are several holes in the middle of the head around which the tobacco is placed. This means that no molasses can flow off, but the heat is distributed evenly.
Chimney head
It consists of a clay head and a chimney hood. With the chimney head, the chimney effect should be used to distribute heat. This type of head is particularly popular with beginners, as the construction is very simple and the tobacco can hardly be overheated. This setup only works with natural charcoal, since self-igniting charcoal gives off too little heat.
Heat Management Device (HMD)
An HMD is a metal head attachment with a lid. Two pieces of natural charcoal are placed in it, which bring the HMD to operating temperature. The heat can be regulated by adjusting or removing the lid. You need natural coal for this setup because it doesn't work with self-igniting coal.

Heads can also be built from fruits to give the smoke its own flavor. Apples , kiwis , lemons or oranges , for example , are suitable .

tube

The hose is located on one of the "smoke connections" on the smoke column. There are also hookahs with multiple smoke connections. The hose of a shisha is usually made of food-safe silicone . But it can also consist of leather, latex , rubber or plastic and is then usually reinforced with a spiral so that it does not collapse.

functionality

For shisha smoking, the water vessel (bowl) is partially filled with water and the column of smoke is attached to it. The pipe of the smoke column must protrude about two to three centimeters into the water and seal tightly with the vessel opening.

Shisha tongs

The tobacco head is filled with about 10 to 20 g of water pipe tobacco and covered with a perforated aluminum foil, a chimney or an HMD, on which the glowing coal is later placed. In order to prevent the tobacco from burning, a space of 0.5–1 cm is usually left between the tobacco and the foil. When using non-flavored tobacco, the charcoal can be placed directly on the tobacco. The glowing coal heats and evaporates the moisture contained in the water pipe tobacco with the aromatic substances. The tobacco is not smoked in the strict sense, because it does not burn. Special shisha tongs are usually used to fill the shisha with tobacco as well as to heat and position the coal. This can also be provided with a metal rod that can be used to perforate the aluminum foil.

Sucking at the mouthpiece creates a negative pressure in the bottle, which causes the head and the column of smoke to draw in the mixture of air, steam, smoke particles and aromatic substances created by the heating of the tobacco.

Due to the long way through the metal pipe, the water and the hose, the flavored smoke is relatively cool compared to the smoke from a cigarette or pipe and is therefore often perceived as more pleasant. Various techniques should further intensify this effect, for example adding ice to the bowl or additional cooling in the smoke column or in the hose.

Harmfulness of smoking shisha

It is undisputed that the consumption of water pipes has negative consequences for health - the extent of the harm is being investigated further. Since the water pipe is basically used for tobacco smoking , shisha consumption harbors the typical dangers of tobacco products. The high levels of carbon monoxide inhaled by hookah smokers are particularly dangerous. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment expressly warns pregnant women and people with previous illnesses of the cardiovascular system against the consumption of water pipes. It is believed that the glycerine, which is added to the tobacco as a humectant, oxidizes to the highly toxic propenal when heated under a lack of oxygen . Against this assumption, however, speaks the fact that the temperature of the tobacco in the head of the water pipe is much lower than in the ember cone of a smoldering cigarette. A study by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) from 2011 was able to detect significant amounts of the humectants glycerine and propylene glycol in the smoke of damp water pipe tobacco and pointed to possible health risks. Since water-cooled smoke is easier to inhale , it can be particularly dangerous for inexperienced smokers such as children and adolescents and can turn the shisha into an entry-level device into nicotine consumption.

By sharing the mouthpieces, smokers can contract flu , tuberculosis , hepatitis C and herpes, for example .

The majority of pollutants are hardly retained in the water. Depending on the size of the smoke column, different nicotine and condensate residues can be found in it.

In the updated health assessment on the subject of “Health and addiction risks from water pipes”, the BfR comes to the conclusion that “there are some indications that the use of the water pipe is hardly less dangerous than that of cigarette consumption. However, nicotine intake from water pipe consumption is significantly higher than from cigarettes. ”Furthermore, reference is made to the significantly higher intake of toxic carbon monoxide . In 2015, a shisha smoker with carbon monoxide poisoning at the Leipzig University Hospital had to be rescued in an emergency using oxygen therapy in a pressure chamber . By smoking shisha, "ten times the dose" of carbon monoxide can be ingested compared to cigarettes, but this is not well known. Elsewhere, however, the BfR comes to the conclusion that (average) cigarette consumption is demonstrably more harmful than (average) water pipe smoking. The key difference here, however, is the lower average consumption of “one or two water pipes per week” compared to “20–30 cigarettes a day”. Pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and tobacco-specific nitrosamines , which can lead to lung cancer and tumors on the lips, have also been detected in the smoke of the water pipe . After many years of smoking water pipes, there was also deterioration in lung function.

Despite slight methodological weaknesses in the studies, which do not cover all variants of consumption, the earlier assessment of the low risk can be considered refuted. However, the shisha has not yet been adequately investigated with regard to the health risk. In an interview with the shisha specialist magazine HookahMag , the toxicologist Thomas Schulz of the BfR said when asked whether smoking a shisha is as harmful as cigarette smoking: “The clearest results for the health hazards of cigarettes were obtained from large studies ran for over 50 years and included tens of thousands of study participants ... Comparable studies are not to be expected for the water pipe, we will have to draw our conclusions on the basis of an incomplete puzzle. "

Shisha smoking in the Orient

Coffee house in Istanbul (1905)

Shisha smoking is traditionally celebrated so that it appears as something special. Shishas are consumed on festive occasions or on days when many friends get together. To add to the pleasure, food and drinks are consumed while smoking shisha. In the oriental countries, tea is often drunk with shisha, especially as it neutralizes the taste in the mouth so that the taste of the shisha can be fully felt with every puff. Small dishes such as biscuits, Turkish sweets or full meals are also often consumed when smoking shisha to reduce the feeling of hunger. In addition, the shisha is often consumed in rooms on pillows or carpets, and loungers or mattresses are also popular for relaxing or sleeping afterwards.

Shisha culture in Germany

Shisha bar in Munich
Interior view of a shisha bar in Graz

Shisha smoking has established itself in parts of German youth culture , especially since the second half of the 2000s . It is used for cozy conversation (" chilling out ") in bars and cafés or taken to parties or picnics.

So-called shisha bars or cafés opened in many German cities, offering shishas in addition to normal drinks and snacks. However, in connection with the crime of Arab clans , these bars are also used as a cover for money laundering and other criminal activities. According to the assessment of the State Criminal Police Office of North Rhine-Westphalia , hookah bars can hardly be operated profitably in a legal way and, especially in the cities of the Ruhr area, rather serve as a meeting place for criminals and money laundering.

Shisha bars have long been regarded as a trading center for illegally smuggled or manufactured shisha tobacco. By evading taxes and customs, this is now an illegal multi-million dollar business.

Dangerous carbon monoxide poisoning can occur in closed rooms. According to the workplace ordinance, the carbon monoxide value in shisha bars must not exceed 30 parts per million (ppm). During controls in Berlin, all 30 restaurants tested were at least temporarily closed, as CO levels from 60 ppm to almost 800 ppm were measured. The forces from the police and the public order office complained of significant symptoms of poisoning such as nausea and headaches. In some cases the fire department had to be called to flood the premises with compressed air.

In Bremerhaven, 16 guests at a shisha bar came to a clinic on suspicion of poisoning at the beginning of 2018.

There are also shops now selling hookahs and accessories. According to a study by the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) published in 2007, 14% of young people in Germany smoked water pipes at least once a month. The non-smoking protection laws of individual federal states affect the operation of these bars, but tobacco-free shisha smoking is not continuously affected.

E-hookahs

Some manufacturers market electronic cigarettes with fruity aromas and without nicotine as so-called e-shishas.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Peter Boyle: Tobacco and Public Health: Science and Policy. Oxford University Press, 2004, ISBN 978-0-19-852687-2 , p. 253.
  2. ↑ ḠALYĀN on Encyclopaedia Iranica (electricpulp.com), accessed December 3, 2018 (English).
  3. ↑ FAQ of the BfR from October 2011 - Do water pipes have better filters than cigarettes or does the water “dilute” the pollutants from the smoke?
  4. ↑ a b c Updated health assessment No. 011/2009 of the BfR from March 26, 2009 (PDF; 178 kB)
  5. ^ Aslam HM, Saleem S, German S, Qureshi WA .: Harmful effects of shisha: literature review. In: Archives of Internal Medicine, April 2014 4; 7:16 , PMID 24708750 .
  6. ↑ Kalian or Kaliun. In: Duden .
  7. ^ VM Sivaramakrishnan: Tobacco and Areca Nut. Orient Longman, Chennai 2001, ISBN 978-81-250-2013-4 , pp. 4-5.
  8. ^ Louis Rousselet: India and Its Native Princes: Travels in Central India and in the Presidencies of Bombay and Bengal. Chapman & Hall, London 1875, p. 290.
  9. ↑ BfR press release of August 3, 2011
  10. Jump up ↑ Jens Schubert, Jürgen Hahn, Gerhard Dettbarn, Albrecht Seidel, Andreas Luch, Thomas G. Schulz: Mainstream Smoke of the Waterpipe: Does this Environmental Matrix Reveal as Significant Source of Toxic Compounds. In: Toxicology Letters , 205, 2011, pp. 279-284, doi : 10.1016 / j.toxlet.2011.06.017 .
  11. ↑ Poisoning by water pipes - Uniklinik Leipzig warns of poisoning by water pipes. In: Deutsches Ärzteblatt, June 17, 2015.
  12. ↑ FAQ of the BfR of October 17, 2011
  13. ↑ HookahMag - specialist magazine for oriental water pipes , 5/2007 (April / May / June), p. 40.
  14. ↑ “It's cozy. You have to take your time to prepare the water pipe as well. It's social and communal. The water pipe is the counterpart to chilling out for young people and a counterweight to fast-moving times "(Tim-Niklas Kubach, editor-in-chief of hookahMag in an interview with taz )"Hello, you old pipe".In: Die tageszeitung, October 12, 2006.
  15. ↑ Kristian Frigelj: Organized crime: the clans establish themselves in the province. In: Die Welt , November 20, 2018-11-20.
  16. ^ Jonas Hermann: More than 100 criminal clans in North Rhine-Westphalia. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung , May 16, 2019 (ISSN 0376-6829).
  17. ↑ Clan crime - Situation report NRW 2018. Ed. By the State Criminal Police Office North Rhine-Westphalia, p. 17. (PDF)
  18. ↑ The million dollar business with hookah tobacco. on rbb24.de, June 10, 2019.
  19. ^ Illegal water pipe tobacco production found in the Ruhr area. ( Memento from April 29, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ) Press release from German customs from June 10, 2010.
  20. ↑ https://www.berlin.de/ba-tempelhof-schoeneberg/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/2019/pressemitteilung.778199.php
  21. ↑ Professional association for food and hospitality: Avoid smoke poisoning in shisha bars
  22. ↑ Cigarette smoking among adolescents at an all-time low. BZgA press release , May 30, 2007.
  23. ↑ Tobacco-free shisha smoking is allowed in NRW. In: Rheinische Post , August 2, 2013.

Web links

Commons : Shishas  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Shisha  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations