Special Report: Pipe Hype

When the sun goes down in Boston the hookah's light up. In clubs and lounges in Boston and beyond, people are puffing away, making a Middle Eastern custom mainstream.

Paola Leos, Mantra
"The hookahs are one of the most popular activities to do."

Samad Namad, Tangerino
"The hookah is popular with every age".

Are you wondering what the heck is a hookah? It's an ornate water pipe filled with fruit-flavored tobaccos. People usually sit around them in a group, inhaling the sweet smoke through hoses.

Emily Romano, Hookah Smoker
"It’s more of an experience you get, like this aura."

Paola Leos, Mantra
"It's a very exotic activity."

Tangerino, a Moroccan restaurant and lounge in Charlestown, is one of the area's hookah hot spots.

Samad Namad, Tangerino
"If you come on Friday and Saturday, you find we sell out all our hookahs. They are very popular."

You may think, ‘wait, smoking is illegal in restaurants and bars in Massachusetts,’ but hookahs are allowed in places that have a special license for tobacco products. But some like hookah's so much, they have one at home.

Griffin Bach, Hookah Smoker
"I’d say that the number one thing it does for you is it relaxes you. It has a purpose, you're sitting around with a bunch of kids and it's a social thing."

But some doctors say, "hold off on the hookah."

Walter O'Donnell M.D. MGH
"A one-hour session of hookah smoking is the equivalent of inhaling 100-200 cigarettes."

Dr. Walter O’Donnell says the water pipe allows toxins to penetrate deeper into the lungs. And that's not all: he says when you pass around the pipe you can also be passing around germs

Walter O'Donnell M.D. MGH
"Including hepatitis, tuberculosis, influenza, and other infections."

Those hooked on hookahs, say relax and enjoy this trendy tobacco!

Some hookah restaurants and bars will provide you with your own plastic mouthpieces. If not--always make sure it's cleaned before you use it.

Related links:

Tangierino Restaurant & Casbah Lounge
83 Main St
Charlestown, MA 02129
617.242.6009
www.tangierino.com

Stanza dei Sigari
292 Hanover Street
Boston, MA 02113
617.227.0295
http://www.stanzadeisigari.com/

Tantric Bar and Grill
123 Stuart Street
Boston, MA 02116
617.367.8742
(Hookah Patio Outside)
www.tantricgrill.com

Kashmir Indian Restaurant
279 Newbury St Ste 2
Boston, MA 02116
617.536.1695
(Hookah Patio Outside)
www.kashmirrestaurant.com

Mantra
52 Temple Place
(Cross Street: Tremont Street)
Boston, MA 02111
617.542.8111
www.mantrarestaurant.com

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