MUKAH: Smoking pipes in public is a very rare sight nowadays compared to about 10 years ago. Even in villages or longhouses, pipe smokers are hardly seen nowadays.
About 10 or 20 years ago, it was quite common to see someone smoking a pipe in town, village or longhouse. Still, in those days, pipe smokers were mostly the elderly.
The shrinking number suggests that pipes are not as popular as cigarettes or vapes. Perhaps that’s why the supply of pipes, which are made of certain types of wood, is also getting scarce.
It is learned that a certain brand of tobacco used in pipe smoking is quite expensive, although there are cheaper brands available.
This town has only one shop selling pipes, and in very limited quantity at that.
A regular smoker, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he preferred cigarettes to pipes.
“I do not like pipes because of the pungent smell of tobacco used,” he said.
Over in the state capital, Kuching, the situation is not much better as only a few of the many tobacco shops still exist. One such shop is TemaKo tobacco store at Temako Batik Store.
Another shop is Kamelah Tobacco House on the ground floor of City One Megamall at Jalan Song. Its website states “You must be adult to enter this site” and declares that “Smoking is hazardous to your health”.
The best tobacco shops — Lian Yu and Rothmans of Pall Mall — are near Jalan Tabuan.
FUN FACTS
Pipes and pipe smoking
Pipe smoking is the practice of tasting (or, less commonly, inhaling) the smoke produced by burning a substance, most commonly tobacco, in a pipe. It is the oldest traditional form of smoking.
Is pipe smoking as bad as cigarettes?
Although the risk of dying from tobacco-associated diseases is lower for pipe smokers than for cigarette smokers, pipe smoking is as harmful as, and perhaps more harmful than, cigar smoking. All tobacco products cause excessive morbidity and mortality.
Why should you smoke a pipe?
Yep, smoking pipe tobacco is known to relieve stress. If you’re one of the millions of Americans suffering from stress you should try puffing a few times on a pipe. The soothing compounds in the tobacco will instantly relieve stress and anxiety.
Do you get a buzz from pipe smoking?
If you sit and smoke an entire pipe, you will get a great nicotine buzz just like you would from a few cigarettes. … Pipes can taste as good as fine cigars and be as cheap and convenient as cigarettes, if used properly.
What is the meaning of smoking pipe?
A tobacco pipe, often called simply a pipe, is a device specifically made to smoke tobacco. It comprises a chamber (the bowl) for the tobacco from which a thin hollow stem (shank) emerges, ending in a mouthpiece. … Pipe smoking is the oldest known traditional form of tobacco smoking.
Do pipe smokers live longer?
Cigar or pipe smoking reduces life expectancy to a lesser extent than cigarette smoking. Both the number of cigarettes smoked and duration of smoking are strongly associated with mortality risk and the number of life‐years lost.
Is pipe tobacco stronger than cigarettes?
Pipe tobacco is addictive. An average pipe bowl contains 1–3 grams of tobacco, with the nicotine level per gram averaging 30–50 milligrams. Smokers don’t tend to inhale pipe smoke as much as cigarette smokers, but some nicotine still reaches the bloodstream after being absorbed through the lining of the mouth.
Is smoking a pipe relaxing?
Smoking a pipe gives the hands an activity and the mind a boost. Again the purpose is determined by the substance used in the pipe. Tobacco in a pipe is enjoyed for the relaxation of it and the socialization of it.
Is pipe tobacco cheaper than cigarettes?
Pipe tobacco is much cheaper and this is partly due to it is taxed much differently. Pipe tobacco is available in a lot more flavors. Pipe tobacco often contains multiple tobacco blends versus 1 or 2 in a typical cigarette. … It’s often smaller than pipe tobacco, almost tobacco flakes.
Is pipe tobacco meant to be inhaled?
If you smoke strictly for the flavor (pipe tobacco is delicious, FYI), then you should probably puff without inhaling. This allows you to get the richest, most unadulterated flavor without breathing it into your lungs. … For the full effect of nicotine, you must inhale the tobacco smoke.
Water pipes deliver at least as much nicotine and toxins as cigarettes, and put users at similar risk for cancer and other smoking-related diseases. The same advice is true for pipe and cigar smokers as for cigarette smokers: quit.
What is addictive in tobacco?
Nicotine: The Addictive Chemical in Tobacco Products.
What is the difference between cigarette tobacco and pipe tobacco?
The biggest difference between cigarette tobacco and pipe tobacco is the chemicals with which they are made. Cigarettes are generally overlaid with a highly toxic chemical tobacco, while pipe tobacco is more natural. These chemicals create the uplifting “high” that regular cigarette smokers enjoy.
Why do people continue to smoke?
People start smoking for many reasons: advertisements, peer pressure, etc. … Like many addictive illegal drugs, nicotine makes a smoker continue to crave cigarettes if they try to stop smoking. Even smokers who are highly-motivated to stop smoking can have a difficult time kicking the habit.
Some people smoke as ‘self-medication’ to ease feelings of stress. However, research has shown that smoking actually increases anxiety and tension. Nicotine creates an immediate sense of relaxation, so people smoke in the belief it reduces stress and anxiety.
