Pubdate: Wed, 31 Aug 2005
Source: Rocky Mountain Collegian, The (CO Edu)
Copyright: 2005 Rocky Mountain Collegian
Contact:  http://www.collegian.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1370
Author: Margaret Canty

CSU STUDENTS HOOKED ON HOOKAHS

Students Go Up In Smoke

Sweet smoke rises from a group of giggling students huddled around a
hookah. This international social trend has gained popularity among
college students as a safer and more exotic alternative to smoking
cigarettes.

Hookahs are large pipes originally smoked during prayer in India. They
are set up with a base filled with water, connected to a hose and
topped with a bowl packed with shisha, a sticky, molasses-based
tobacco with a sweet flavor.

John Adams, from the smoking specialty store High Country, said
hookahs have recently been gaining popularity, particularly among the
18-to-25-year-old age group.

"There are so many types of people who buy hookahs," Adams said. "We
have a lot of repeat customers. Everyone is really liking them."

CSU students are taking advantage of the hookah craze.

"I am buying a hookah tonight," said Brandon Hale , a freshman
business major. "It helped me meet everyone on my floor, and it's a
legal way to relax."

Residence Hall Assistant Chris Lindstrom, a junior history education
major, said he has no problem with his residents smoking out of a
hookah, as long as they are not smoking inside the halls.

"Hookah does not have as bad a connotation as cigarettes," Lindstrom
said. "Cigarettes are associated with cancer, but hookahs aren't, at
least in people's minds. They're very social."

Although smoking shisha out of a hookah is perfectly legal on and off
campus, Adams speculates hookahs are being used for other things as
well.

"Hookahs make it easier to smoke (marijuana) in the dorms," he
said.

Adams is not the only one aware of this. CSU Police Department
Sergeant Reed Beery said although hookahs are legal if used to smoke
tobacco products, they will take precautions to make sure that is all
students are smoking.

"Generally we'll get a call that kids are using one (hookah), and
we'll swing by and see if we can smell marijuana or see residue. If
they are, they are subject to the marijuana laws," Beery said . "If
not, we'll be on our way."

Adams said the price of a hookah ranges from $30 to $300 depending on
the type. The cheaper ones are usually brass and have only one hose,
whereas the most expensive are glass and can have intricate patterns
and multiple hoses.

"I bought a hookah for college because my friends and I got hooked on
the hookah this summer," said Sam Krey, freshman open option major.
"It's smoother and easier to smoke then other things. It's just the
hook."

Although it is still smoking, some health-conscience smokers choose to
smoke from a hookah rather then cigarettes because it is considered
less damaging to the lungs. According to HookahCompany.com, shisha
generally has .5 percent nicotine and no tar, whereas most cigarettes
have 2 percent nicotine and 16 milligrams of tar.

Another enticing aspect of shisha smoking for some is the wide variety
of flavors, ranging from coffee to rose to melon and strawberry,
costing around $5 a container, Adams said.

For those who do not wish to purchase one, but are tempted to try
smoking one, hookah bars are located all over Colorado, but Fort
Collins does not have one.

"There should be a hookah bar in Fort Collins," said Christy Oliver, a
freshman business major. "They'd make a ton of money."

The hookah trend shows few signs of letting up.

"Hookah is a bonding experience," said Dan Kramer, a freshman health
and exercise science major. "It brings the hall together. It's a great
ice breaker."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin