Newbie From Finland.

[Zan]

Hi everyone, nice to join you all.

So I found a cheap unused souvenir table hookah brought from Turkey being sold on Facebook and got it for just 20 euros, along with some Tanya herbal molasses, foil, quicklight coals and tongs. I read all about the basics of hookah smoking on the internet and watched some videos and I'm hooked. Not literally, but you know. :D There are apparently no hookah stores at all in Finland, but I found a Swedish store that sells hookahs, molasses and equipment, so I got a windcover, a bunch of coals, a tin of Shiazo stones and three different kinds of Golden Shisha Molasses and a bottle of Jeff's 7 Elements Strawberry. I mixed all the stuff with some Clan pipe tobacco I'd washed, and some Bonus Blue cigarette tobacco.

 

I get pretty decent smokes and I really enjoy smoking a nice relaxing bowl on the computer and with family over. I've always been interested in smoking and I've dabbled in pipe smoking and cigarillos on the cheap before, but right now the hookah is the only thing I smoke, since it's cheap and I can do it indoors without messing up my house. Sadly I have no way to get real shisha right now, so the molasses bags you mix into cig tobacco will have to do for now. Has anyone here tried that stuff? I get rather rough smokes as I write this with the 7 Elements, but I probably messed up my foil and the bowl packing.

[Bawhee]

Hey, welcome to the forums man!

So, smoking laws in Finland are absolutely unknown to me, but I assume ordering "real" tobacco from say Germany would work since customs wouldn't be a problem considering EU borders. The shipping might be a bit steep but you Finns have a pretty high standard so it might not be that much when put into perspective. Last time I checked ordering Nakhla from Germany was a pretty good deal (not for me cause I can get it cheaper locally but if it's not available to you then google some German online stores). I can't recommend any particular stores cause I simply don't remember the names though, will update if I remember!

Also if you have access to an electric coil burner, gas stove or a gas campfire burner or something similar (looking for pretty high heat over a few minutes) do look into natural coals (coconut, bamboo, or wood, depending on what you can get, if its ok to smoke with usually there will be a barbecue or shisha label on them in the EU). That will be the biggest step to elevate your smoking experience, the rest is trial and error till you figure out how packing and all that works for you.

If you have further questions, like regarding packing or whatever do ask and possibly post pics of your packing process!

A little side note: this part of the forum is just to make introductions, questions like the one you added are easier to notice in the Discussion Group section of the forum, just a heads up for next time!

[Zan]

Well, the law here is absolutely, completely ridiculous. There used to be some stores that required you to confirm your age with bank account credentials, but those are banned too. Absolutely no mention of tobacco products is allowed and selling online is now completely banned. It's completely idiotic, but luckily I was able to obtain the molasses from Sweden with no taxes. Right now I'm smoking the Golden Shisha Grape and, with a thinner needle to poke the holes and poking them all the way through, my quicklight split in half and the tobacco cut into pieces before smoking and a slight tamp, I'm getting great, tasty smoke. I think I'll have fun here.

[KnightHawk63]

Woah so no tobacco AT ALL in Finland? Like not even cigarettes or cigars? Chewing tobacco? Anything? Can you drink coffee and caffeinated soda? How about beer and liquor?

 

PS: Welcome to the forum! Almost forgot this was in the introduction section. Hope you enjoy your stay and keep on hookah-ing haha. :)

Edited July 9, 2014 by KnightHawk63

[Chreees]

Welcome to the forum, Zan! Hit up a fellow named TwoApplesPlease on here. He is knowledgeable on the Elements stuff, IIRC.


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[Zan]

Woah so no tobacco AT ALL in Finland? Like not even cigarettes or cigars? Chewing tobacco? Anything? Can you drink coffee and caffeinated soda? How about beer and liquor?

 

PS: Welcome to the forum! Almost forgot this was in the introduction section. Hope you enjoy your stay and keep on hookah-ing haha. :)

 

Oh, there's tobacco alright, but all advertisements of any sort, including mentioning prices or brands online, is banned. Stores have to keep their tobacco stuff hidden, they cannot recommend you anything if you ask, and even with those dispensers at the checkout lane, they're not allowed to list the tobacco brands, you have to ask for its number. About liquor, something incredible happened just a few months ago, they loosened the law! :D Before, the government-run alcohol company could only list brands and prices of drinks under 21% ABV, but now the law was repealed and all their products are now listed online.

Smoking kids is a pretty big problem here, I could ride my motorcycle to the beach and see ten elementary school kids smoking and acting all cool, and 18-year-olds supplying them with all the smokes they want as long as they pay two euros extra. Scumbags, I say. At least I went out and bought my smokes and booze myself when I was fifteen! :D

[Chreees]

When there's a will there's a way... But instead of parents disciplining their kids the government feels they have to. I think instead of banning products and limiting access, they should be educating parents to properly discipline their kids. Education is key to our future. It breaks the vicious cycle.


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