From Saudi Arabia to Muncie, college-age people are bringing back the time-honored Arab tradition of smoking hookahs.
A hookah is a water pipe with hoses used for smoking tobacco. Historically hookahs have been associated with Arab and Indian cultures.
Ball State graduate student Mohamed Almalag is a Saudi and an avid hookah smoker.
"It started in Tunisia like a really long time ago. It's become really popular, a lot of younger people smoke hookahs," he said.
Almalag said he has his brother send him Saudi Arabian tobacco.
In Saudi Arabia, hookahs are popular for many reasons, Almalag said. One has to do with the price; tobacco is cheap in Saudi Arabia.
Another reason has to do with the health concerns of the hookah smoker.
"Most people smoke hookah instead of cigarettes; they think it's healthier and easier to quit because you don't smoke as much," Almalag said.
But unlike in Saudi Arabia where water-pipe smokers tend to congregate in caf+â-¬s, Ball State hookah aficionados tend to do their smoking at home.
Ball State senior Joe Kratzat is an employee of the Little Havana Tobacco Cabana in the Village.
Up until December, customers could come in to the shop and smoke a hookah. Kratzat said this policy has changed for two reasons.
"The first reason is that most people would rather buy the tobacco and go home and smoke; the second is that it just took up too much time for the employees," Kratzat said.
Not allowing people to smoke hookahs has not slowed water pipe sales at Little Havana, though.
"We sell a lot of the hookah tobacco," he said. "Peach is the most popular flavor. We can't seem to keep it, it always sells out really quick."
Kratzat said the reason people are so keen on hookahs these days has to do with the war in Iraq.
"A lot of kids are coming back from Iraq. They try it over there, and they like it a lot. Then they tell their friends, and then they want to try it," Kratzat said.
Ball State Building Mechanic Samir Kanazeh immigrated to the United States from Lebanon in the mid-1970s.
He said that back in the '70s, water pipes were popular with older people, not with college-age kids.
"They used to sit in the caf+â-¬s playing dominoes and smoking," Kanazeh said.
Back then the tobacco wasn't flavored, Kanazeh said. He said the flavoring is probably meant as a way of marketing hookahs to a younger audience.
"You wouldn't have seen younger people smoking nargile," he said. "It wasn't illegal or anything, it just would have been odd. They would've been out running around or something," Kanazeh said.
Nargile is the Arabic word for the tobacco that is smoked in a hookah.
Kanazeh said he doesn't understand the popularity hookah's are enjoying among young people.
"It takes a lot of time, you have to sit down and get the coals ready and everything. It's not like a cigarette where you just smoke it and put it out," he said.
Ball State junior Nicole Dills said that is part of the reason why she decided to get a water pipe.
"I bought it for relaxation," Dills said. "It helps you calm down when you have a busy schedule."
Dills said she has had her hookah for nine months and usually smokes it at least once a week.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
