More youngsters, including those as young as sixth graders, have indulged in the addictive pleasure of smoking “shisha,” also known as Arab pipe tobacco, in Vietnam in recent years.

“Shisha” has become a can’t-miss at tea and coffee shops which are typically frequented by young people in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and other large cities.

Shisha is an Oriental tobacco pipe with a long, flexible tube connected to a container where the smoke is cooled as it passes through water.

Groups of youngsters, including middle and high school students, are typically seen lounging in the rooms, which are often decorated in an Arab style, and pampering themselves over hookahs of shisha.

The shops generally supply shisha with different flavors, including watermelon, apple, kiwi, mango and pear, for around VND200,000 (US$10), or slightly more for a hookah.

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