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The White Rabbit, located on Wedington Drive, is a popular hangout spot for local residents. Whether the tobacco in hookah is healthier than cigarettes is debated by everyone, from UA students to health Web sites.

Hookah smoking - a safe alternative to cigarettes?

By: Leanna Payton

Posted: 9/26/08

Hookah smoking has become a phenomenon in Fayetteville, especially within the UA population. Originating in the Middle East, hookah is tobacco that contains fruit molasses and flavoring and is filtered through water in a hookah pipe.

Some smoking devices can be purchased, but most hookah is smoked at hookah bars. The White Rabbit Lounge, located on Wedington Drive, is one of three hookah bars in Fayetteville. Barbara Villega, the owner of the lounge, said her business is doing very well and most customers come from campus.

Randall Ecke, a junior theater major from Houston, said, "I like going because I enjoy the atmosphere and it's a great place to socialize. It has a lot to do with the owner. She establishes a one-on-one [relationship] with the customers."

Although hookah is entertaining for those who smoke it, there are some students who believe it is just as bad as cigarettes.

"[Hookah] is still smoke going into your lungs," said Maegan Cook, a freshman business major from Plano, Texas. "That has to be bad. It just might not be as addictive as cigarettes."

On the other hand, Villega said hookah is not as bad as cigarettes because it has less than 0.5 percent nicotine and 0 percent tar. She has been smoking for seven years and has yet to see any effects to her body.

"I run everyday, I don't cough at all and I am perfectly healthy," said Villega, who also said that hookah can smell flavorful and it does not leave the cigarette smell behind.

Ecke, who has been smoking for two years, said hookah is smoother and not as harsh because it has no extra add-ins like cigarettes.

"This is the way tobacco was meant to be smoked," he said.

The experts have different opinions, as well.

A study completed on June 1, 2004, concluded, "traditional pipe or trendy hookah smokers face the same or worse cancer and other disease risks as cigar smokers," according to an article on WebMD.com.

An Ohio health Web site compares hookah to cigarettes.

"It's a myth that hookah smoking is safer than smoking cigarettes," according to an article on ohiohealth.com. "The tobacco is no less toxic. Hookah smokers actually inhale more tobacco smoke than do cigarette smokers because of the massive volume of smoke they inhale."

Even though the tobacco passes through water in the pipe, the smoke still contains high levels of toxins, including carbon monoxide, heavy metals and other cancer-causing chemicals, according to the Web site.

Despite health concerns, Ecke said he will continue to smoke hookah.

"It's my Zen," he said.

More information about hookah smoking from health professionals can be found at www.webmd.com/smoking.