User:Krami045/sandbox

Middle-Eastern Hookah

Bong usage, also known as water pipe smoking, has been around for several decades, yet has been experiencing some spiking popularity in this recent decade due to cultural practices and world-wide internet exposure. The Middle East is one location where water pipes/bongs have been most popular due to the rising number of cafes opening up in close by locations. In the scholarly article titled The global epidemiology of waterpipe smoking, authors conclude that “One of the milestone developments in this regard was the introduction of Ramadan tends in the Middle East during the 1990s” (Maziak, et al i4). During the month of Ramadan, people in the Middle East would enter these cafe-like tents to end their fasting for the day and have the option to smoke nicotine from these water pipes. The bongs or water pipes would be set in the middle of a table at each table. Now similar practices still take place in locations all over the world at hookah bars. These are locations where people can enter and be placed at a table where these hookahs are placed at the center for customers to enjoy. Instead of paying for food or drinks, payment is made towards the usage of the hookah, or water pipe. Other contribution to the popularity of the bong would be because of the internet. With the ability to upload images onto the net, and share them with others all around the world, the youth especially are more prompted to engage in activity with bongs because they are essentially the target audience on the internet (Maziak, et al i4).

Afghan, Single Neck Container

In locations like Afghanistan, bongs, also known as water pipes or hookahs, are also used frequently, but in a slightly different manner. While in the Middle East, they originated from traditions of breaking fast during the month of Ramadan, but in Afghanistan, they are typically used in a more casual manner during or in between conversations. In the article titled Water-Pipes, Tobacco and Snuff in Afghanistan, author C-J. Charpentier points out that during conversation or seated discussion amongst various people, that “… every now and then a culleeaun is passed round for smoking, and after a whiff or two, is sent away (Charpentier 939). The types of bongs used for this act are slightly different than others, as they tend to be more simple but also more elegant, as if they were an every-day. common household object. The water pipes can either have a single neck container, as figure 1 and 2 demonstrate above, or can have a double neck container like figure 3, also above. They can be made from many different material such as clay, copper, glass, porcelain, or soap stone and typically have designs on them to emphasize their beauty and every-day use (Charpentier 939). While other styles of water pipes exist in Afghanistan, it is important to note that they only exist because of trade or importation from places such as Iran, Turkey, Russia, Bokhara, or any other locations that are atypical.