Opinions - Hookah cafe fans worry about smoking ban

[motorhead]

[top]Hookah cafe fans worry about smoking ban

Updated Sun. Jul. 1 2007 9:02 AM ET
Associated Press



London -- Shrouded in a sweet-smelling haze, clusters of men and women unwind as they inhale fragrant tobacco from water pipes in the myriad cafes that line London's Arab quarter.
But Britain is going smoke free on Sunday, and cafe regulars will soon be deprived of one of their favorite pastimes. The smoking ban applies to covered public places and brings the nation in line with the more than 35 other countries and territories.
"It's going to take a big part of my social life away," said 24-year-old Rizwan Hussain, drawing in grape-flavored smoke at a cafe on Edgware Road. "I don't do pubs and this was an alternative."
Experts say smoking bans are spreading because of soaring health costs. Some of the strictest are in the United States, even though there is no federal anti-smoking policy. Spain, Italy, Iran, Norway, Sweden, Singapore, South Africa, Uruguay and New Zealand have passed anti-smoking laws. France banned smoking in many public places in February and plans to extend the ban to cafes and restaurants next year.
"It's a matter of time, but it will happen all around the world," said Jean King, director of tobacco control for Cancer Research UK, a charity. "It's the most important public health measure for a generation."
Few public spaces are exempt from the ban in England, which extends even to Buckingham Palace. Pubs, clubs and restaurants must be smoke-free. Taxi and delivery drivers have been warned that they face $100 fines if caught lighting up inside work vehicles.
In advance of the ban, the British government has subsidized programs to help smokers quit. The rest of Britain -- Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland -- already has smoking bans in place.
But many who gather at the Arab quarter's shisha or hookah cafes -- which started in London in the 1970s -- say they're addicted to the social aspects of a smoke, not necessarily to the tobacco itself.
Around 30,000 visitors join locals to sample grape, apple, rose and peppermint tobacco, surrounded by fixtures from across the Arab world. Britain has around 1.8 million Muslims.
"Isn't it a shame if this doesn't exist anymore," said retired lawyer Ibrahim El-Nour, raising his hands to the sky and taking a long drag of an extra-strong tobacco called saloom.
El-Nour gathered the signatures of 10,000 people in a petition urging the government to make an exception for hookah cafes. There was also a petition posted on the Internet social-networking site Facebook.
But officials say there is no chance of a last minute reprieve.
"Creating an exemption for premises that offer shisha and hookah would not be in keeping with the primary objective of the legislation, which is to reduce the risks to health of secondhand smoke," said a spokeswoman for the Department of Health, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.
The World Health Organization said last month that smoking from a water pipe may pose the same health risks as cigarettes.
Shisha will be allowed in outdoor areas in Britain. But many fear the cafes will go away.
"It's bad. I think it's finished after Sunday," said Amhed Ali, a 25-year-old Iraqi Kurd waiter at the Palms Palace, speaking in halting English.
The government argues that many of the businesses will not suffer because they also serve food. But the majority of visitors come for the water pipes, said Al-Nour.
At the Palms Palace, about 60 people were crammed into the ornately carved booths with hookah pipes. None were eating.
"It's a little bit of the Middle East in London, which they are totally going to destroy," said Baija Choutai, a 39-year-old businessman who has been a regular on the Edgware Road for 12 years.
The government said it will review the smoking legislation in three years.
Despite the spread of bans, the World Health Organization says it expects tobacco sales will be steady. In its Tobacco Atlas, the WHO said that by 2030 there will be "at least another 2 billion smokers in the world," and an expected decrease in male smokers "will be offset by an increase in female smoking rates, especially in developing countries."



http://www.ctv.ca/

[kailey_elise]

Couldn't some these cafes get around the ruling by becoming private clubs? Regulars could buy monthly/yearly/lifetime memberships, and perhaps one day/week/month only "trial" memberships could be sold as well?

I don't know how it is in Britain, but I wonder if it would change the cafe-turned-club's tax bracket or status or whatever. Hmm.

I *think* this is possible here in the States, though I don't know how many owners have tried it. There were cigar bars that got around the ban in Massachusetts because more than X% of their business (perhaps 60%, I'm not certain) was obtained from the sale of tobacco and otherwise it would put them out of business.

Actually, now that I write that, I'm not if that was true, or if that was suggestion on one of the no smoking ballots. I do recall being in Boston and seeing people smoking inside the cigar bars/shops post-ban, but whether they were allowed or just breaking the law is uncertain.

I think it's a bummer. If people want to smoke, they should be allowed to. If I want to open a smokers only restaurant, where all the waitstaff and cooks and patrons know before going in that smoking is not only allowed, but encouraged, I should be able to. Prior to the laws going through, you could open a smoke-free establishment if you wanted...discriminating against smokers is just dandy, but catering to them is a no-no. *rolls eyes*

~Kailey

[Bajeda]

The government argues that many of the businesses will not suffer because they also serve food. But the majority of visitors come for the water pipes, said Al-Nour.

Idiots. You don't go to a shisha cafe for dinner and then think, "oh my, I guess we could have a bit of hookah with our meal".

[vantranist]

In cali we can't smoke in restrants either but we have hookah bars still... loop hole in the law i guess

[jcdjinn]

Hookah is different though. It smells less harsh than a cig and has waaay less nicotine.

[OccularFantasm]

Governments love to go crazy I think. It may just be their past-time. It'd be funny to watch them try to do the same thing to alcohol. Well you can get chicken wings in bars, but we're going to ban all alcohol consumption there for public health reasons. Don't worry, everyone goes to bars to get food, not get hammered.
The fact that its banned in a hookah shop is just insane. I mean who would actually walk into such a place, and expect not to breathe in any smoke. The aroma of such a place is half the experience. Also I think its important to continue to have uses for hookahs out in public. It is an important part of Arab culture as well. Though I don't understand why in the article he mentions there being 1.8 million Muslims., as it reflects Arab culture, not a religion.
Smokers should have somewhere they can go in and relax, ad just smoke their stuff; much the same way, that nonsmokers should be able to go in somewhere and not be gagged by smoke. It sucks, it seems our society can only solve problems by separation and discrimination. Hopefully one day we will evolve above this.
Also, if this happens in a similar way as it did in the United States, 90% of smokers will blatantly ignore the law. I know int he states anyway, you can't smoke in a pavilion outside because it has a roof on it. People get really pissed when you tell them, but the one time I didn't they called the health people n got a fine. I feel sorry for all people who have to deal with this garbage law.

[Twiglet]

Originally Posted by kailey_elise

Couldn't some these cafes get around the ruling by becoming private clubs? Regulars could buy monthly/yearly/lifetime memberships, and perhaps one day/week/month only "trial" memberships could be sold as well?

I don't know how it is in Britain, but I wonder if it would change the cafe-turned-club's tax bracket or status or whatever. Hmm.

No, in u.k you are not allowed to smoke in public/work places.
private clubs are not allowed to allow smoking. I suppose there still work places.

[Lunar Loops]

This from BBC News website:

Have shisha cafes gone to ashes?

By Sabaa Alyanai
BBC Blast reporter



Smoking in enclosed public places was banned in England on 1 July, but the legislation did not affect only cigarette smokers.
One month on, campaigners claim hundreds of Middle Eastern-style cafes where the water-filtered shisha pipe is smoked are unfairly under threat of closure. They are planning a legal challenge against the new law.
SHISHA - WHAT, WHEN, WHERE?

Called hookah in India; shisha or narghile in Middle East
Shared experience - one or more pipes can stem from the shisha pipe
Intricately-designed glass base is filled with water - stainless steel pipe connects it to the clay pot head
Flavoured tobacco or herbal fruit pulp fills the clay pot, is covered with pin-pricked foil, then heated by coal
Mainly smoked after dinner with mint tea and baklava (sweet pastries), with guests or socially at a cafe
Tobacco flavours come from across the globe, ranging from melon or coconut to coffee or cappuccino


But what's so special about shisha compared with cigarettes? Many smokers, particularly if they are Muslim, say the ancient custom is central to their social life and culture. They don't drink or go to pubs, so the cafes are the hub of their social life.
Has the legislation reduced shisha cafes to ashes?
Many shisha cafes across England have been - or expect to be - adversely affected by the ban, with a number closing down in the capital and other cities.
As with other bars and restaurants, many shisha cafes have found the new law has in effect moved their business outside to do battle with the elements.
With only a metre of pavement available on London's Edgware Road - which has long been a focal point for Middle Eastern cafes and restaurants - there is not enough space for everyone who wants to smoke.
Meanwhile rows of shisha pipes are left untouched inside.
"Come winter time, no-one will want to be outside in the cold," says fitness consultant and shisha smoker Paul Carter.
The shisha pipe is smoked slowly, via a water filter, with flavoured tobacco or herbal alternatives.
Many shisha smokers claim the full health impacts have not been fully researched, and the pipe is less harmful partly because the tobacco quantities are small.
"Where is the scientific evidence?" asks 25-year-old Brad Barker, who is smoking with friends at a London cafe.

I have a wife and a child to support, I have a mortgage... how will I pay my rent?


Ayad Albelbese


The World Health Organization has stated that shisha does have harmful effects and, when consulted, said it should be included in the smoking ban.
But it also acknowledged in a report released in 2005 that there is "surprisingly little research addressing tobacco smoking using a water pipe" and that a more thorough understanding of the risks and health effects should be sought.
One month on from the ban the Department of Health is adamant that it is "still the right decision [to include shisha] because it is proved to still be dangerous" and that the legislation should apply to everyone.
In Birmingham Ayad Albelbese, owner of the Ali Baba shisha cafe, says local university students used to describe his place as their "second home" during term time.
His cafe - which existed only to sell shisha and drinks - closed completely at 0559 on the morning the ban kicked in.
Returning to his desolate property, he says he and other owners are angry that they were not consulted sufficiently before the ban.
"Ninety five percent of my business was relying on shisha...[since the ban] I have been without an income, I have a wife and a child to support, I have a mortgage...how will I pay my rent?"
Birmingham City Council said it had informed all owners of the move, adding that the wider consultation exercise was the responsibility of central government.

New avenues
Aside from his personal plight, Mr Albelbese says he is upset that part of the Arabic culture has been destroyed.
"Where will Asian and Muslim people go? You go to a casino, if you don't gamble why do you go? In the same way, you go to a shisha cafe to smoke shisha.
"How can you have a shisha outside in this weather?"
In his attempt to explore a different business avenue, Mr Albelbese has stumbled across another hurdle, having been refused an A3 restaurant licence to serve hot food.

He is not the only shisha cafe owner seeking to explore alternative avenues.



Cigarettes are addictive but shisha is an addictive cultural experience... it can last all evening and I'm not plastered by the end of it


Ben Palmer-Fry, biology teacher


Hasan Al Daheri, the Iraqi owner of Panini Cafe in the Edgware Road area, says he feels desperate that his livelihood is being taken away from him. He is currently awaiting a decision on his application for a hot food licence.
"What I've served for 30 years has disappeared."
Not all businesses have been negatively affected by the ban.
In nearby Bayswater the Bedouin restaurant, which has a covered outside space for smoking shisha, staff say business is still steady.
One customer Lamine Bilal, 20, says he comes only "to smoke shisha".
On an evening out with friends, biology teacher Ben Palmer-Fry says the place is a "taste of Arabic culture".
"Cigarettes are addictive but shisha is an addictive cultural experience... it can last all evening and I'm not plastered by the end of it."
The intentions of the legislation was not to shut down businesses


Ibrahim El-Nour


Habibi's restaurant in Birmingham says it has seen an increase in the demand for shisha smoking since the ban.
Owner Manal Timraz described it as her busiest period to date. At the back of the restaurant there are gardens with roofed areas for shisha smokers that she plans to expand, and a smoke-free indoor restaurant for diners.
In an attempt to combat the British weather she plans to install tables that emit heat from in-built heaters.

And according to Ali Mirza of New Natural Village London, which sells shisha pipes, more people are smoking at home. He says he has seen an estimated 30% increase in sales since the ban.
In many cafes, rows of pipes are left redundant. Pic by Sabaá Alyanai


But the campaign goes on.
Ibrahim El-Nour, chief executive of the Edgware Road Association and leader of the Save the Shisha campaign, is sceptical about the survival of thriving cafes, saying: "We expect these places to close soon, at the end of the summer."
He says "the intentions of the legislation was not to shut down businesses" and that is what he wants to avoid.
The campaign says it hopes to rescue a part of Middle Eastern culture from dying out in a multicultural UK.
An application to exempt shisha from the ban, on the grounds of health and culture, has been refused but hope is not yet lost.
As part of the campaign, Mr El-Nour is urging its 600 or so members - many of whom he says have been forced to close - to donate money to finance the legal bid to seek a judicial review.

Photo by Hollie Bagelman