Into the bubble: experiencing smoking waterpipe as a safe breathing space

Smoking hookah, like all kinds of smoking, triggers public health concerns and a demand for prevention, not least following its reputation as a new global tobacco epidemic in Western countries. In this line of thought, somatic risks similar to or more severe than cigarette smoking are usually highlighted. Our study, published in Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs attended to these shortcomings by aiming to understand the characteristics of the whole of the waterpipe experience and their aggregation into a reputation of smoking hookah, which determines how the practice is assessed and dealt with.

The bubble

We conducted interviews with 18 young adults (16-27 years of age) with diverse ethnic background who lived mostly in the Stockholm area. In these interviews, it became clear that smoking hookah means entering a special reality reminding of a bubble This bubble is characterized by

1. a specific festive-like contemplative time,
2. a certain delimited safe space surrounding the hookah device,
3. a way of fun that covers needs for pleasure and competence as well as
4. a specific social community, in which passing the hookah resembles a gift that strengthens bonds between its members.

Being understood this way, the hookah bubble achieves qualities of a hazard-free, liberating, cozy environment and breathing space, which allows people to explore oneself and engage in identity formation as responsible adults. Part of the construction of the bubble is to safeguard its barriers to separate the safe inside from a risky outside and guarantee the freedom of those dwelling inside from the apparent risk of physical harm related to smoking and the risk of becoming (socially) dependent. This is accomplished by presenting one’s own beneficial ways of practice (e.g. mastering smoking) and communication (e.g. playing down risks) as well as by distancing oneself from stereotypic images of those who do wrong (e.g. the addicted waterpipe user as a lonely, endangered character). While smoking hookah thus may be deemed beneficial for the users’ mental and social well-being, physical risks exist and are dealt with by waterpipe users.

Implications

For young adults, smoking hookah may contribute to forming a community and a self in this community. Smoking hookah is hence connected to probable physical health risks as well as potential beneficial impacts on mental and social health. The latter grant smoking hookah positive qualities that cannot easily be dismissed and should be acknowledge and discussed openly with young adults to promote beneficial outcomes of dealing with hookah smoking that are not already from the start directed towards banning smoking as the only imaginable solution.

The article is written by Pelle Pelters, associate professor in (health) education at the Department of education, Stockholm university.

on the request of PopNAD