How does a hubbly bubbly work?

Answer 1

These water pipes are better known by the name hookah and are the pipe smoked by the caterpillar on the mushroom in Alice in Wonderland. Looks like even then, they were being used for slightly more powerful drugs than tobacco.


Traditionally an Eastern way of smoking tobacco and other drugs, their current use in trendy circles in the west is perhaps due to a misguided belief that they are safer than cigarettes as the tobacco is reputedly "burnt" at a lower temperature. However, as the reference states and other research show there is no evidence that this is true. The temperature used to "burn" the tobacco and release its component chemicals still releases the carcinogens and they are still breathed in by the smoker.

It would be an unfortunate and dangerous side effect of their growing popularity if they are trendily seen as a safe way to smoke tobacco and would let some smoke whom otherwise wouldn't. The only safe way to smoke tobacco is to let some other idiot do it where you can't imbibe the smoke in any way.

All the details of how it works and more are in the reference.

PS You've also indirectly solved a mystery I've had for years! About twenty years ago I went to Tunisia and purchased a box of charcoal sticks as a curiosity which were often lit outside coffee shops. I never really did find out what they were for and assumed they were to keep insects away. Reading the reference I now know they were used to power the hookah pipes that were often used by the locals outside these shops at the nighttime. An indirect thanks for setting the question- my own mystery is solved!

Answer 2

If you are talking about a hookah, it also known as a water pipe. It consists of a bottle partially filled with water (or wine) a stopper with a tobacco bowl with a long stem to reach down near the bottom of the bottle and a mouthpiece to draw on. The bowl is filled with tobacco (or whatever you wish to smoke) and lit. The smoke is filtered through the liquid inside and drawn out through the mouthpiece.
See: http://shisha-hookah.com/hubbly-bubbly.htm for some history.

Answer 3

Traditional Middle Eastern or South Asian device for smoking, which operates by water-filtration and indirect heat. It can be used for smoking many substances, such as tobacco, opium and herbal fruits.

Answer 4

Artemis principle