Flavored Tobacco smoking fans

by Calvin Son March 07, 2006

Hookahs are known to provide a smoother, cooler smoke, but some students are still feeling the burn.

Though the popularity of smoking flavored tobacco in the traditional Middle Eastern water pipes continues to grow, students living in dorms are finding out that hookahs are prohibited by the Housing and Food Services Student Code.

“Drug paraphernalia, including bongs, clips, pipes and other items used in preparation or consuming illegal drugs, is not allowed,” states Section 15 of Title 16, titled “Prohibited Conduct" in the Student Code. “These items are subject to confiscation by Department of Public Safety officials."

Logan Hooper, University College freshman, said he has smoked his hookah over 15 times in the courtyard of the honors dorms in David L. Boren Hall. His resident advisor passed on a warning that smoking hookah in the courtyard is prohibited.

“I could be cited if I smoke it again,” Hooper said.

Some residents of the Cate McSpadden dorms chipped in together last semester and bought a hookah they smoke once ortwice a week at the Cate Center rock garden, said Matthew Morris, University College freshman.

Jared Kuntz, University College freshman, said he has been approached by an OU Police Department community service officer who made sure they were not smoking illegal substances.

Both the courtyard and the rock garden are considered residence hall property.

“I can take it elsewhere or just walk across the street [to the South Oval],” Hooper said.

Many students are aflame with displeasure with what they believe is an unfair stereotype.

“There's nothing hidden inside of it like opium or weed,” Hooper said. “I've never smoked weed out of it before and never will because it will hurt my hookah and I don't want it to hurt my hookah. It's my baby.”

Morris said he feels the administration needs to research hookahs before banning them.

“It is a widely accepted fact in the 'pot community' that hookahs are inefficient and sub-par for marijuana smoking,” he said.

Morris' friend and fellow hookah-smoker B.G. Frankenberg, economics and entrepreneurship and venture management sophomore, said he thinks administrators are assuming that anything students enjoy which smokes and bubbles is illegal.

“If one feels that anything that could be used to smoke marijuana out of should be banned, one would need to ban apples, Coke cans, cigarettes, paper, tobacco pipes and two-liter bottles because every single one of those items can be used to smoke marijuana better than a hookah,” Frankenberg said.

Some students say they will not willingly allow their hookah dreams to go up in smoke.

“We will still continue to smoke hookah on campus regardless of the ban,” Frankenberg said. “We need to show them that rules and regulations are needed, but some are so completely illogical that we won't respect them.”