Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Adventurer]

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


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6914503.stm