The exact date of the first use of ghalyan in Persia is not known. Although the Safavid Shah Abbas I strongly condemned tobacco use, towards the end of his reign smoking ghalyan and copoq had become common on every level of the society, women included. Smoking water-pipes is an age-old tradition with roots in Iran, but its recent resurgence in popularity among young Iranians is raising alarm bells with health professionals.
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