Hookah Smoking, as Described By A Scientist

The cooling of tobacco smoke is a centuries old tradition. It is believed to have originated in India and eventually spread throughout most of the modern Arab world. The use of a hookah, or water pipe, is traditionally accepted by many cultures and continues to be the most prominent eastern tool used in the act smoking tobacco. The idea is to cool and to filter the smoke by passing it through a liquid before it is inhaled.

The hookah is usually constructed of four to six fundamental components which can be referred to by numerous terms depending on culture.