Tobacco News

Where is information for the parents who think cell phones and iPods are the only latest trends their children are involved with?
While you weren’t looking, hookah lounges were springing up. Hookahs — single or multi-stemmed water pipe instruments used for smoking — are being sold at flea markets, online, even at the mall and being shared (several people often smoking at the same time) by adults, youth and college students at parties and lounges. Ream more »

The Lazy Dayz Hookah Lounge, which allows customers to smoke a water pipe called a hookah, was denied extended operating hours because of concerns it would sell a legal drug that city officials consider dangerous.

Owner John Sedwick has admitted selling Spice, a synthetic drug that smokers say provides a marijuana-type high, at his Newport News location, Norfolk City Manager Regina V.K. Williams told the council Tuesday. The Navy and city officials have condemned the sale of Spice, which is banned in several states but is legal in Virginia.
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Hookah smoking by teens is on the rise in Oregon. That’s what the Oregon Public Health Division is reporting.

Researchers also found that teens think smoking a hookah is “glamorous” and “not as bad as cigarettes.” However, researchers say the idea that hookah smoking is less dangerous is not entirely true.
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“Some customers come in here every single day,” he says. “Just like Starbucks coffee, I know what they want.” Amanda Duron, 20, of Hillsboro smokes a hookah and watches television while her friend Raya Cupler, 20, of Beaverton naps at the Beirut Lounge in Tigard. Hookah lounges offer laid-back environments, high-energy social gathering spots and inexpensive entertainment. Hookah flavors cost about $10 to $15 each. Some lounges allow a maximum of two people per hookah during a smoke session. Pipes are thoroughly cleaned between users. Ream more »

Ensnaring users with its seductive scents and tastes, inviting social atmosphere and physically addictive tobacco component, hookah smoking has become a fashionable trend in today’s society, especially among college students and young adults. A relaxed and communal activity, a hookah’s aromatic smoke is considered a breath of fresh air by many. Ream more »

Sean Kirk is not Jewish, but he has a passion for the Middle East. He’s throwing that passion into his new local shop, The Bamboo Eater, incorporating the ties he sees between hookah and the Jewish community.

Sean and his friend Bryan Hadadd own and operate the store on Rhode Island Ave., which opened this summer.
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Smoking is sexual suicide, comes the resounding statement from world-renowned author and sex therapist, Dr Rosie King, with shisha smoking being the root cause of impotency in men in the Middle East.

In a country where the shisha culture is embedded in its social makeup, the news that excessive usage of the water pipe causes impotency in men has seen many a heavy smoker cross his legs in a seemingly protective move.
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New hookah bar Adam’s Corner is finally ready to open in the former Listrani’s Restaurant space. The bar received its liquor license this afternoon, and is planning to open this weekend, says owner Chedlia Dridi.

Dridi has been eager to open since the beginning of September, but still had several loose ends to tie up before opening to the public. The liquor license from Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control was the last piece. Dridi is hoping to do a soft opening tomorrow, and plan an official grand opening in a month or so. Ream more »

“Opa!” cries the staff of Acropolis Greek Taverna as white paper napkins are tossed with abandon into the dining room atmosphere.
It’s Saturday night on the infamous 7th Avenue of Ybor City, but I’ve steered clear of the typical nightclub scene to find a more cultured taste of this historic district.
The main entrance opens into a room with a vaulted ceiling, painted and illuminated to resemble a brilliant blue sky with clouds. Ream more »

As the city descends into crisper temperatures and adopts an orangey hue, seasonal ingredients are rolling into grocery stores while local chefs and food fans are reacting accordingly. So what else is new?
Dallas Morning News
Leslie Brenner crowns Sharaku Sake Lounge as “excellent: One of the finest restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth.” I’m glad that it delivered so well, but I was looking forward to making some sort of “skewered” pun.
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