Dimly lit rooms with sweetly scented smoke in the air are becoming the destination of choice for college students at Wichita State.

Hookah bars, a relatively new business in Wichita, are taking off in the local area and gaining popularity with college students.

The atmosphere in hookah bars tends to be relaxed with an emphasis on socializing. This social emphasis has been a major factor in their success, as well as the novelty of smoking from a hookah.

Hookahs, or water pipes, are a Middle Eastern invention that attempts to filter the tobacco smoke through a water bowl. This helps make the smoke milder, but doesn’t take out all the toxins in tobacco.

WSU has seen three hookah bars open within close proximity of the university: Shesha Coffee Shop on 21st near Grove, Lava Hookah Lounge on 21st and Woodlawn and Shesha Hookah Bar on 21st and Amidon.

Freshman Aaliyah Quinn said that out of the hookah bars she has been to, Shesha is her favorite. She called the atmosphere “just really chill and relaxing,” she said.

Another thing students seem to like at hookah bars is the staff. Waitresses and even the owners will come out of the back and ask how everything was.

“The part I really enjoys is the fact I can smoke without there being any nicotine,” Kyle Stallbaumer said.

Hookah contains nicotine and varies in the amount based on the tobacco and how much is smoked. According to the American Lung Association, hookah smokers can actually inhale the same to even more nicotine than cigarette smokers.

Although many users see hookahs as being safer than cigarettes the ALA, American Cancer Association and the CDC all warn that hookahs can be just as, or even worse than, cigarettes.

According to the ALA, “A hookah smoker inhales eight times more carbon monoxide and 36 times more tar in a typical session than someone who smokes one cigarette.”

Some students believe that hookah isn’t addictive, that the water filters the toxins and that there are fewer health risks associated with hookah than cigarettes. Each of these is false. Hookah uses tobacco and is just as addictive as cigarettes, and can be even more dangerous due to the long smoke sessions.

Despite the risks, many students still enjoy the buzz hookahs provide, as well as the variety of flavors.

“My favorite part is that I can have whatever flavor of hookah I want, most of the time I get Potion #9 which is really fruity and then I add honey, and it tastes amazing,” Freshman Alex Reazin said.

While there are many health risks associated with smoking tobacco, many students still enjoy sitting and smoking with friends in local hookah lounges.