Holy smokes: hookah at PLNU

Although drug and alcohol use are forbidden at PLNU, smoking hookah remains a cloudy issue for some students on campus. The number of hookah bars and cafes are growing in the United States, fueled by its popularity among teens and young adults.

Smoking hookah is legal for those 18 and older. A hookah is a multi-stemmed pipe that operates on water-filtration and indirect heat. It can be used to smoke many products such as tobacco, marijuana and herbal fruit, known as shisha, which contains 0.05 percent nicotine. According to www.shishapipe.net, the apparatus has been used for centuries in the Middle East and Asia to smoke tobacco, mainly for social purposes.

Because hookah is a smoking device, hookah falls under the smoking policy at PLNU. If caught, students are subject to suspension, community service, mentorship and possible expulsion.

“The policy seems pretty fair as long as someone’s heard out, and they [the administration] are consistent with the decision-making,” said senior Collin Roberts. “Hookah doesn’t seem to be disruptive, but it’s obviously against school policy, so I wouldn’t encourage it; that would be stupid.”

PLNU’s student handbook says that the school has a “zero-tolerance” smoking policy. However, each case is treated as unique. Individual students are questioned and investigated with different penalties, according to Brandon Hill, dean of students.

“I feel there are loopholes that need to be addressed,” said sophomore Daniel Page. “What if a student is Catholic and drinks wine at church? They’re technically breaking the covenant. To say there may be certain exceptions means that the people in charge bend rules. So what’s the rationale for banning herbal fruit smoking if we’re of age?”

Some students try to bend the rules. According to Hill, students who manipulate the system don’t understand that the school is trying to help them, not make assumptions.

“Rules are here because people with years of experience know that these things will help you in school,” Hill said. “Holistic wellness is part of our goal; we want kids to think about wellness in every aspect of life.”

The promotion of hookah smoking as a safe alternative has doctors and public health experts concerned. According to an article published by Edward C. Rosenow III from the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, hookah is not safer than smoking cigarettes. According to www.HookahKings.com, researchers found that the impact of water-pipe smoking is about the same as that of cigarette smoking. The prevalence of tooth-related diseases was 30 percent for water-pipe smokers, 24 percent for cigarette smokers and eight percent for nonsmokers.

“If we want to promote a safe, healthy environment, smoking would be the antithesis of our school’s goals, spiritually and academically,” said Leanne Burke, registered nurse and assistant nursing professor. “It’s also important that students have reliable sources and knowledge about the hazards of smoking rather than just word of mouth.”