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Health & Fitness

No Smoking: Electronic Hookah Vaporizers Are the new Trendy way to Smoke, I Mean Not Smoke

Smoking has been banned in California restaurants, workplaces and venues since 1995 and in bars since 1998, but do not be surprised to see puffs of curious white clouds curling upward next time you visit your favorite local hangout.

What is more shocking is these mysterious clouds flowing out of customers’ mouths do not have the pungent odor associated with tobacco products.  They actually smell sweet, minty or even fruity.

A new technology craze, electronic vaporizers that simulate hookah, is hitting the South Bay.  These devices are small enough to fit in one’s hand and look similar to a light saber hilt or pen, which gives them the nickname “hookah pens”, with a button on the side and a nozzle to smoke, or “vape” rather, out of.

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A chamber inside is filled with a flavored liquid which the vaporizer turns into steam and delivers in a small cloud of vapor whenever the button is pressed.  Because there is not actual tobacco burning, these “hookah pens” are legal to use indoors.

They essentially emit a cloud of flavored water which may taste like apple, mango, vanilla mint or myriad other candy-like flavors.

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There are also claims that these devices are much safer than cigarettes or similar smoking devices.  The vapor itself is supposed to be much less harsh than smoke, and there is no second-hand smoke released into the air.  The steam produced contains a concentrated amount of nicotine or no nicotine at all so none of the risks associated with cigarettes and regular hookah.

"When I first started I used the kind with nicotine, but that stuff is bad for you," explains Gabe Brouse,18, "I just do it for the flavor now." 

Detractors argue that, while the product itself may not be harmful the way cigarettes are, it still gets people accustomed to the act of smoking and charms young people with bright colors and sweet flavors.

On the opposite side of the debate, some say that the similar behavior is cathartic for those trying to quit smoking.  Tobacco users who quit often complain that they miss the ritual, the act of smoking.  They do not know what to do with their hands suddenly when they do not have a cigarette to hold in their hand.  “E-hookah” provides a safe substitute.

The reaction to the pocket-ready electronic hookahs has been very positive amongst young people.  The infatuation might have something to do with the mystique of smoking without the health concerns or the excitement of having the latest gadget. 

Perhaps the draw is social.  Having an electronic vaporizer gives people something to do while socializing.  That is why so many groups of young people can be seen passing them around.

Whatever the reason, hookah pens have become the hip new trend that might be worth investigating, if you are into that sort of thing.

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