Safet" Smoke? Don’t get hookah-ed!
8/ Bryce Simpson
hile cigarette use has
mi largely fallen out of
favor with the college
crowd, the exotic allure of
hookahs - and the
misperception that hookah
smoke is filtered and safe
may be driving its upsurge in
popularity. Unfortunately, the
hookah isn’t safer than
cigarettes even though
tobacco companies’
promotions are suggesting
otherwise. Hopefully, with
greater awareness, you won’t
get hookah-ed!
Harmful present;
Ancient past
As we all know, tobacco is
tremendously harmful and
addictive. The stimulating
effects of nicotine begin right
away, in as little as seven
seconds. Withdrawal
symptoms from the addicting
nicotine are powerful
motivators to keep smoking.
The carbon monoxide,
acetone, formaldehyde, and
other toxins are what actually
make us sick. This is true
regardless of the method we
use to take in the tobacco.
The practice of smoking
hookahs emerged centuries
ago. Those who lived in
palaces and harems in the
Middle East smoked tobacco
through elaborate glass water
pipes; the same designs used
today. Students need to be
aware that the hookah is not
just a cultural trend that is
randomly emerging. Tobacco
companies are promoting
hookah use by using trendy
marketing ploys, such as
creating and mass marketing
candy-like flavors. Flavors like
apple, watermelon, and
licorice are designed to mask
the harsh taste of tobacco.
Tobacco profits
are hazardous
to your health
In order to maintain high
profits, tobacco companies
have tried to create the illusion
of a “safer” way of smoking.
Flavored tobacco is just as
harmful for you as cigarettes.
According to Thomas
Eissenberg, a researcher at the
Institute for Drug and Alcohol
Studies at Virginia
Commonwealth University, the
water used in the hookah does
not cause the levels of carbon
monoxide or nicotine to
dissipate. The act of inhaling
this carbon monoxide causes
airway irritation. This may not
seem serious, but breathing too
much carbon monoxide (e.g.
tail pipe exhaust) kills people in
the short run and may lead to
heart disease, stroke,
emphysema, bronchitis and
chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease in the long run. It is also
important to note that there are
over four thousand other toxic
chemicals in tobacco smoke;
many also found in products
such as cleaning detergents,
rat poison and gasoline.
For more information about
hookahs, or tobacco in general,
visit the EMU Health Resource
Center. You will find books
available for loan, Peer Health
Educators to answer questions,
and other health brochures.
NRT (nicotine replacement
therapy) patches are sold at
the University Health Center
pharmacy at reduced prices to
help you quit. Contact the
pharmacy at 346-4454 and the
Health Resource Center at
345-4456. *
u
Oh yeah
man, all the
time.
It’s a great
alternative
to cigarettes.
The water
in the pipe
makes the
nicotine less
harmful for
you... plus,
you know...
it’s just like
a really cool
social
experience. ”
— UO Junior (opinion
on hookah smoking)
Essential Party Tips
I An Alcohol Survival guide
8y Jordan Roberts
t’s fall term and with about
20% of students new to
campus, I decided it’s time
to hand down some pearls of
wisdom about drinking at UO.
Especially for you fresh arrivals
who figure that it’ll be smooth
sailing for a partying duck,
read on.
Sure. Making friends, going
out and having a good time is
all part of the college scene.
For most students it doesn’t
take long to encounter alcohol
in many party settings. I won’t
be the first to tell you that
drinking and possession of
alcohol is illegal in Oregon for
those under 21.
In the spirit of what health
educators call “risk reduction”
—that is, if you’re going to
partake in something that isn’t
particularly good for you, take
steps to minimize the adverse
effects-here is my short list of
how to reduce your risk of
health and other problems.
Plan ahead. Set a reasonable
limit for yourself. Most health
experts agree that one drink
page 2 - Well Now Fall 2005
for a female and two for a male
will not pose adverse risk in
most individual adults.
Slow down. Wait between
drinks and sip your drink
slowly.
Alternate. Drink non-alcoholic
drinks such as water before
having that second drink.
Eat. Have a meal or substantial
snack before you drink so that
alcohol is absorbed more
slowly into your blood.
Never leave your drink
unattended. It is possible for
others to spike or drug your
drink.
Don’t go to a party alone.
Go with friends and agree on
how you will safely get home.
By following these pointers
you are more likely to avoid the
adverse health (injury, sexual
assault, blackout, hangover,
etc) and social (fighting,
embarrassment, etc) ugliness
associated with heavy drinking.
Hazards of the road
My pearls are not complete
without mention of alcohol
poisoning and the hazards of
the road. Say you’re at a party
and your friend drank so much
that they’ve passed out. If they
are unresponsive, this is a
medical emergency. Don’t let
them just sleep it off. It’s
important to get your friend to
the emergency room and you
can do this by calling 911.
Finally there is never any
justifiable reason you should
get behind the wheel of a car or
the handlebars of a bike after
drinking. UO sponsors the
designated driver shuttle (DDS)
which will pick you up and take
you home. Be aware that they
will not take you to a party and
that sometimes they are busy
so it’s important to be patient.
Another alternative is the
Assault Prevention Shuttle,
which provides students with a
safe alternative to walking alone
at night and risking assault.
Now that you have the facts
and are enlightened about the
consequences, make sure that
you are good to yourself.
You’ll find yourself in good
company.
Designated Driver Shuttle
346-RIDE
Assault Prevention Shuttle
346-RIDE
Department of Public Safety
346-5444 (non-emergency)
Eugene Police
682-5111 (non-emergency)
Sacred Heart
686-6931
Off-campus emergency
911
On-campus emergency
346-6666
For those of you that are under the age of twenty-one
or just want to know about fines for the most common
alcohol violations, here they are:
Minor in Possession (MIP) ... up to $311
Minor Falsely Representing Age ... up to $500 (jailable)
Giving False Info to a Police Officer... up to $2500 (jailable)
Fake ID (Class C Felony) ... up to $100,000 (jailable)
Furnishing Alcohol to a minor (Class A Misdemeanor) ... up to $5,000 (jailable)
Open Container/Consumption in Public ... up to $500 (jailable)
Mochtails
Recipes
Cardinal Punch
1 quart cranberry juice
1 pint orange juice
2 oz lemon juice
4 quarts ginger ale
Combine juices with ice and
chill. Pour into punch bowl
over block of ice and add
ginger ale.
Jack-O-Lantern
1 gallon apple cider
1 quart hot water
1/2 cup instant tea
2 T lemon juice
1 1/2 t powdered cloves
1 1/21 cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
Heat water, add tea, cider,
lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon
and cloves. Seme warm,
garnished with a cinnamon
stick.