Many people (due to various reasons) do not want or cannot smoke a traditional tobacco hookah. But they still want to enjoy a pleasant smoke! For such cases, there are non-nicotine and tobacco-free hookah blends. Let’s figure out what they are and whether smoking them is truly harmless.
There is no smoke without fire – there is vapor without tobacco.
In fact, non-nicotine smoking blends can indeed be a good organic alternative to traditional tobacco mixes. Quality blends are based on natural fruits, berries, or vegetables, corn husks, sugarcane, tea leaves and herbs, as well as stones. Smoke production, similar to traditional hookah tobacco, is achieved by adding glycerin, and the component that gives flavor and aroma is a mixture of honey, molasses, essential oils, and sometimes flavorings.
Steam-smoking stones for hookah.
Arguably the most popular and standout non-tobacco hookah mixture is steam-smoking stones. These are samples of volcanic rock of various shades, with a small fraction but a porous structure, thanks to which they are well soaked with syrup.
There are no difficulties in packing smoking stones, the main thing is to choose the right bowl. Since this mixture is usually well soaked, Vortex, Phunnel, and Alien bowls are best suited, the shape of which ensures the preservation of syrup. All the products described below are also packed in the listed bowls for the same reasons.
In addition to the absence of nicotine and harmful tars, smoking with stones also eliminates the burning of products, which makes them so popular. Furthermore, smoking stones provide a large amount of vapor when smoked, so they are often mixed with regular tobacco to make the hookah very smoky. The main feature of steam stones is that they can be reused! It is simply enough to “marinate” them again in syrup, which can be purchased separately or made at home.
Smoking mixtures with a plant base.
For those looking for something as close as possible to a tobacco mixture in consistency, some manufacturers use a base of tea leaves or other herbs. Among fans of nicotine-free hookahs, bases made from reed, vegetables, fruits, and berries also hold a special place, as each ingredient imparts its own unique flavor notes, unlike stones.
Manufacturers using tea as a base pay exclusive attention to the varieties and quality of the leaf preparation. For example, Chabacco uses premium grades of Chinese tea, processed using a technology of leaf thermomechanical expansion to enhance the duration of flavor, increase heat resistance, and fully unfold the aroma.
The base for the well-known line of non-tobacco hookah products Saalaam Molasses is beetroot. The soak consists of sugar or corn syrup, and the flavorings used create a wide range of flavors.
Soex is a well-soaked, smoky smoking mixture made from finely ground sugarcane. The range of flavors includes over 50 varieties, including popular hookah classics.
Among the producers of fruit blends for hookah, the recognized leader is DeCloud. The contents of the jars look very appetizing, like jam or preserves (a real dessert from the world of hookahs), but you cannot eat it.
Unlike tobacco and herbs, a fruit blend is more heat-resistant, so smoking time can be extended up to 2 hours without losing taste and aroma. However, to properly heat it, it is recommended to use 3-4 charcoal pieces.
Hookah cream.
Another option for non-tobacco hookah filling is to use a paste or gel for hookah. It usually consists of glycerin, flavorings, food coloring, and sometimes absorbents that remove a quarter of harmful emissions.
Is hookah without nicotine harmful?
At first glance, no nicotine means no harm. However, things are not so straightforward, and opinions are divided into two cardinal camps: some are completely convinced of the unparalleled benefits of fruit or herbal hookahs, comparing smoking to inhalation; others talk about even greater harm than from tobacco products.
The truth lies in the golden mean. Firstly, the healing power of nicotine-free hookahs has not been medically proven, nor has their irreparable harm to health. Secondly, just pay attention to the quality of smoking products and their composition.
A hookah cannot completely clean smoke from combustion products, so if the mixture contains preservatives, dyes, low-quality flavorings, then burning may release many other different substances that can depress the nervous system just as much as tobacco. Therefore, it is better to treat smoking nicotine-free mixtures the same as tobacco, not rely on their usefulness, and of course, do not smoke while pregnant, for children, and for people with health problems.
In tastes, there is no disputing.
Non-tobacco and nicotine-free mixtures differ from classic hookah blends not so much in taste, but in the smoking effect. Therefore, everyone has a strictly individual attitude towards them. As a rule, those who are accustomed to tobacco cannot fully appreciate any other products, even if they are very tasty and aromatic. Those who do not have a nicotine dependency are more willing to choose such smoking blends. More often, stones, creams, fruit, and tea bases are used in collaboration with tobacco to create bright mixes and the smokiest hookahs.