I smoke hookah on occasion, but am not a regular hookah smoker. Recently some of my friends have expressed interest in smoking hookah but are concerned about the health side effects; needless to say, for very legitimate reasons. However, non-tobacco shisha, made simply of herbs and molasses, claims to be a healthier alternative to regular shisha that contains tobacco. Though I can assume it is not without its shortcomings, is it still healthier then regular tobacco products, as it claims?

On "big nights out" (about once a month) friends of mine "plug" ecstasy tablets — by which I mean they each stick one up their butt instead of swallowing.

They claim that is a "safer" way to ingest E because it bypasses the liver and goes right into the bloodstream. They also claim the effects are heightened.

I have been tempted to try this method as they swear by it, but thought I'd get your opinion first — are there any potential side effects to plugging? Is it really a "safer" way to use E?

Hi, where can I test my molly on or near campus?

Me and my friends are users of X. We know that it's illegal and not good for you, but it's only a once in a while thing. My question is that I know there are different types of X pills that you can take. We have been getting motorolas and I know a friend told me that mitsubishis are really bad to take. I was wondering the differences between the pills and the differences between triple and double stacked pills......

I heard that the first reaction you have to taking ecstasy is to become violently ill, after which the party can continue. This sounds like an urban legend to me. Could you clarify please?

My friends and I occasionally (once a week or so) like to smoke the "Hookah" or sometimes referred to in Arabic as an "argeelay." The tobacco that it comes with smells really good and comes in all kinds of flavors, such as apple, mango, mixed fruit, etc. Anyway, I consider myself to be pretty healthy in that I have never experimented with drugs, never smoked cigarettes, and rarely drink alcohol. My question is about the health effects of smoking a hookah. The rewards are mostly relaxation after a long day of studying for law school. The hookah provides this through smell, flavor, and sound of the water that filters the tobacco when you puff on it. However, I don't know what the health risks are. How does it compare to cigarettes? People say that it's much safer than cigarettes... and according to the packaging that comes with the tobacco, there are far fewer harmful ingredients... in fact, it's mostly tobacco and molasses. It's a very popular trend these days. It's time we get a good source of information. So what's the verdict?

I only smoke occasionally. I smoke when I go out to clubs, etc. (once or twice a week). I smoke about ten cigarettes each time. Is this likely to have an impact on my health?

Hi! Your site is very helpful. I have a few friends who smoke. We are friends since the past four years; they started smoking about a year ago. They tell me to smoke, I don't do it, so they call me a jerk. I have never TOUCHED a cigarette in my life.

Should I smoke?

If I smoke one cigarette about once a week, will it harm me in any way?

Will it make me a chain smoker?

Which is the safest brand of cigarette, health wise?

I smoke. I don't like it at all but it's the only way I know to relieve stress. It makes me dizzy and nauseous. I tried quitting but I have reached a point in my life where I am overwhelmed by stress and cannot take out the time to exercise or sleep my stress away. I can feel the cigarettes altering my health. Please, aside from telling me to quit, can't you offer some kind of advice?

Can you tell me about electronic cigarettes and their effects on health? Pros and cons, and a comparison to actual cigarettes? How do they compare to the patch and gum for someone who wants to quit smoking?

Recently, my boyfriend began injecting cocaine. I've noticed that he and his friends share their needles, but "clean" them first with bleach and water. Is this a valid way to avoid contamination?

My friend recently smoked some pot laced with cocaine. First of all, is this possible? Whatever the case may be, he seems to be infatuated with the idea of trying straight coke. I've heard that trying coke for the first time is quite dangerous, true? Also, what are the effects of the high? And how detrimental is coke in general?

Could you possibly tell me the interactive effects of Zoloft (the anti-depressant) and MDMA (Ecstasy)?

I have been a smoker for about 8 years and smoke about a pack per day. I am also an alcoholic and now drink about 7 to 10 beers a day, and have been for the past 2.5 years. Last night I decided to quit drinking beer every day and today I am already shaky, nervous, and can't concentrate. I want to quit smoking also so I can join the army. Is it dangerous to quit both at once? Would it be too much stress on my body and mind? And also, would having just one beer a day for the next couple days help with the withdrawal symptoms?

I used to be a heavy ecstasy user and now am clean from ecstasy. I find I can't ejaculate. Alice, I guess my question is would the ecstasy have affected me sexually, so that I can't ejaculate when I'm having sex?

I have a huge dilemma. I have an addiction to a certain drug that has turned my life upside down. That drug is crack cocaine. The worst part about it is that nobody knows this but me. Nobody knows that right now, my life is on the brink. How do you express this problem to people who don't even have a clue as to what you are dealing with? How do you reach out to the people who you love and trust when you are so ashamed of the truth? One thing that I do know is that I'd better do something fast because if I don't, I will lose my fight with life. HELP!!

I have been trying to find information about the hope for recovery for previous meth users, but there doesn't seem to be a consensus. Some sources say that meth causes permanent damage to the brain, while others are a little more hopeful and say some important brain functions might recover.

I used meth about fifteen times, which I gather isn't a lot in comparison to other meth users but is still a considerable amount. For a while I have felt paranoid and anxious and it has been more difficult to perform daily tasks and just generally think straight. Also, things I used to enjoy are not really that enjoyable anymore.

My question is, will I be able to have my brain back? If so, how much of it? Will I ever go back to being my old self?

I have a very addictive personality. Fortunately, I am married and have a family and because of the added responsibility of taking care of my family I stay away from a lot of the harmful vices. However, for some stupid reason I decided to try out nicorette. I quit smoking about 12 years ago and thought I would just try out nicorette to see if I could get a buzz. Well two years later I am totally hooked on the stuff and wondering if I should start smoking/chew/patch to get off the stuff. How bad is nicorette for you and is it better than smoking?

My dad requires me to take weekly drug tests since he found out that I was smoking marijuana. My first test came back positive for marijuana and cocaine. I was not surprised about the marijuana because I had only been clean for five weeks, but I have never done cocaine. Is there anything that could have triggered a positive result? Could opium or mushrooms or any other drug possibly trigger this positive result?

1) I found a white powder in my friend's car and I think it might be cocaine. I'm not sure if it is or not. I don't know if I should confront him with it or what I should do. I don't want to see my friend get hurt, but if I'm wrong, I don't want to falsely accuse him of something like this. How should I go about handling the situation?

2) I am a first-year business student and have a little sister who is a junior. I think she is doing cocaine because I found some "paraphernalia" in her room last week. What can I do without damaging my relationship with her?

Does ecstasy drain spinal fluid? Or is this a dumb myth?

My friend recently told me that she has a serious blow problem. She lives with her boyfriend and she said that all they do is work, sleep, and blow. By telling me this I understand that she has taken some very important steps into wanting to get better, but I'm completely useless in trying to help because I just don't know enough about the drug and rehab and ways to support her.

So far I've made the suggestion that she come spend some time with me and away from home so that the reminder of it is lessened, I can prevent her from bringing it in, and can try and keep her occupied to take her mind off it. What else can you suggest?

Is there any way to stop an E come down, or at least make it so I don't feel rough all day the next day?

Why is beta-carotene dangerous for smokers?

Recently, many of my friends have been doing methamphetamines. Often when they start to come down, want to come down, want to "level" out their high, etc. they take Xanax!!! Now I know Xanax is an anti-anxiety drug, and meth speeds your heart up. So can mixing the two ("reds" with "blues") be especially bad? I keep trying to tell them that it doesn't sound like a good idea...but they know that I hate pills so they DON'T listen. "They know better!" But I haven't been able to find any info specific to my question in other places. CAN YOU HELP?

I was wondering if the rumor that smoking cigarettes stunts your growth is true? I am a smoker (not proud) but I do believe it may have stunted my growth or at least slowed it down. And if it does, is it permanent? Like, if I stop smoking, will my growth continue to do what it was originally going to do? Any information is helpful. Thank you I love this site.

I have been shooting cocaine steadily for almost two months now and want to know what the difference between the physical and emotional addiction is. I am not sure if I have been experiencing withdrawals, but I feel sick a lot lately. I know shooting heroin has made me sick before. Can cocaine eventually make you dope sick as well?

I recently performed oral sex on a guy who had been using crack cocaine. He had been using for about three days straight. When he climaxed, I swallowed his semen and about ten minutes later, I felt very dizzy and pretty much high. He probably ejaculated about two to three tablespoons worth.

Is it possible that the hardcore drugs he had been doing that week pass through his semen? If so, does this happen with every drug?

And, if so, if I were to get drug tested, would it show up?

I would appreciate any answers you can provide.

I heard somewhere that smoking reduces your sperm count. Is this true? How else, other than being a carcinogen, is smoking harmful?