Omar: Master of Shisha
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by JMC200
By Amira Al Asmar
In recent years in Egypt, Shisha [water pipe] smoking turned into a life style for different age groups, especially young men and women. It has become a common scene in coffee shops, malls and sometimes even houses. Shisha is a water pipe used for smoking purposes, originating about 500 years ago. The tobacco is heated by coals and the smoke is purified and cooled through the water after which it emerges through the suction tube, from where it is smoked. Shisha is all about the social element. It's not what you put in your pipe, but who you smoke it with. Rarely will you see a solo shisha smoker; it has become the basis of social interactions and eventually a symbolic tradition. Also it has become everywhere in cafes in the streets [El Ahwa] and in fancy ones with different styles, shapes and too many flavors. Also you can find advertisements and websites for selling shisha and promotion it, regardless all its side effects and negatives. http://www.shishapipe.net/
Moving to the society’s opinion about the water pipe smoking, it is different from each group of people than another. A majority criticize how much this phenomenon has become that common among young people, especially girls, and many of them believe it is dangerous and a negative habit which is not acceptable. For men since a long time shisha represents a time for a hang out in a café and chat in the afternoons. For women lately it has been controversial; a number of Egyptian women state they were drawn to the pipe as a means of expressing their independence. Most said they had taken up the habit in the last several years, and most said their families would not be pleased to find out. Also shisha is thought to be a fashion among young girls, and people in the high school age smoke the water pipe because they think it is “cool”. Also tourists when they visit Egypt, it is like a main thing in their program to go to khan el khalili and smoke shisha.
People are considering shisha as a habit that they disregarded its harms, sometimes you can find someone who does not smoke cigarettes but smokes shisha. I am not sure what the reason is. Is it because there are no label saying that smoking kills on the water pipes like it is on cigarettes packs?! Water pipes are not safe to smoke. The water does not filter out all the toxins, and the nicotine is addictive. Several types of cancer and gum diseases have been linked to shisha smoking. It may be only a social activity; however, the addiction to nicotine can increase the risk of cigarette smoking. Regardless how silly the idea of smoking the water pipe is, it has become one of the scenes that we sea in hour daily life, we know it is harmful and we do it, but also there are people who promote it. So it is going to be an everlasting phenomenon as it has already become part of the culture?!
"Spanish young men smoking shesha in Egypt"
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