Is vaping similar to hookah smoking in any way

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yzer

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No, that is the point I was trying to make. A PROPERLY SET UP and PROPERLY OPERATING hookah does NOT burn tobacco. It heats it up just enough to vaporize the flavor.

The fact that this is so rare as to almost be non-existant in most hookah bars and with most home-use hookah users is more of a comment on the skills of modern hookah users than an indictment of the actual device or process...
That's different from any hookah bar I've ever been in.
 

AttyPops

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There's a lot of mis-information (on both sides) regarding hookah smoking. However, there are products of combustion. I don't know of a hookah, contrary to the claim above, that "only makes vapor" without any products of combustion. There are studies that indicate that they aren't any safer than smoking tobacco. The question is "what setup was tested?". Even for those that don't use coals, they heat ceramics or rocks or some such, the temps probably still burn stuff or it wouldn't be smoke that's inhaled. I think it's smoke, not vapor, in all cases. I'm not an expert though.

So...I avoid it due to probable combustion. Why not just stay off the smoke and vape?
 

jtpjc

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With hookahs it's the coal that's bad. You can have tobacco-free hookah-"tobacco", which mainly consists of sugar canes, molasses and some tasty stuff like natural or artificial tastes. Because there is aluminium foil separating the coal from the tobacco, temperatures don't get hot enough to set the tobacco on fire. On the other hand, the coal does burn, and I wouldn´t be surprised if that process produces a lot more unhealthy stuff than actually burning tobacco.
 

Kahuna

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If you look at the methodologies of those studies you will see them as silly as the studies that showed vaping is worse than cigs. I'm a hookah enthusiast (for over 20 years) and have run the gamut. As stated earlier, a properly set up hookah will never burn the tobacco that is used as a substrate. At the end of a "session" I toss out a dried mass, but not a burned mess. The biggest misconception I have always had to overcome was showing people that the tobacco isn't being burned like in a pipe. They always remark "well someone said" or "I heard" (which I HATE that answer because they can NEVER EVER site their source) "that it's like smoking 100 cigs". First of all, that's just stupid. "light up 100 cigs and inhale ALL of that smoke in thru the hose and see what happens..." "Now guess what DOESN'T happen when I take a pull from my hookah..." "yeh your source is a .....".

For those who feel like forgoing the absolutely delicious flavor for non tobacco shisha, there are (ugh) herbal versions that use tea leaves and other undefined plant matter soaked in glycerine and flavors. But I find that stuff usually bland and underperforming, vapor wise. There is now shisha called "Steam Stones", which is basically porous stones soaked in ejuice. So essentially that is pretty close to vaping. But it still doesn't come ANYWHERE close to the flavor and thick milky voluminous clouds from a properly set up hookah and good quality shisha (like any flavor of Tangiers brand in a vortex bowl (although a fat SS wick on my AC9 on a mechanical mod comes pretty close).
 

Steve K

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The biggest misconception I have always had to overcome was showing people that the tobacco isn't being burned like in a pipe. They always remark "well someone said" or "I heard" (which I HATE that answer because they can NEVER EVER site their source) "that it's like smoking 100 cigs".

I am constantly defending this at work with my PV I have to do explaining to everyone that it is not tobacco and its not being burnt.Then they say it has nicotine in it and that is cancer causing and the brown juice shows the tar and nicotine.I've had it telling everyone this!! Yet no one ever looks up info on it.Everyone also thinks nicotine is a brown color.
 

tsunami987

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I just noticed you are a metro east person! Carondolet here

Shiloh, more or less O'fallon... Illinois side, of course! XD

Anywho, had no idea this topic would be so heated, so I'd like to go ahead and add; Quite frankly, I'd rather vape that coaperize (yes, I just went there) since it's easier and I don't have to worry about scorching charcoal. I won't get on the topic of combustion occuring, since we use toaster wire to boil the same chemicals used in shisha. I've seen some nasty gunk buildup in my atties before.

That bein' said, once again, E-Liquid does NOT have a chance of producing the same potential carcinogens that hookah coaperizing does. Nicotine has been isolated and suspended in a choice chemical for our enjoyment. Woohoo! How bout we all just agree that, while there are some similarities and some differences, nothing beats a good vape.

Edit: And on the topic of hookah bars... Do any of the waiters or waitresses ever really know anything? I have heard of so many that hate hookahs because their bowls scorched in less that 10min...
 
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