HOOKAH LAW RIGHT CALL

People have gathered for centuries in coffee shops, tea houses and bars around the world to relax with friends around a water pipe or hookah The practice of smoking shisha, usually containing tobacco or other flavoured products, has been particularly popular in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. So it isn’t surprising that the operators of some of Edmonton’s estimated 44 hookah bars are upset the city wants to outlaw the practice.

Last week, council’s community services committee voted to treat shisha like tobacco products and asked city officials to prepare changes to Edmonton’s public places bylaw.

When that report comes back, council will determine when to start a ban on smoking hookahs in indoor public places and other locations where smoking tobacco is prohibited.

It will still be permitted in private residences. Restaurant and bar owners argued at the meeting for tighter regulations without a ban. They’ve already upgraded their air circulation systems and see shisha as integral to their businesses. They said second-hand smoke shouldn’t be an issue because people choose to be there. In later interviews, other owners said the move would amount to banning their culture.

While it’s always difficult to reconcile these sorts of conflicting interests, councillors have made the right call.

The shisha sold in Edmonton nightspots isn’t allowed to contain tobacco, but even the mixtures of fruit or molasses their patrons consume create fumes the Canadian Cancer Society says contain nicotine and other cancercausing chemicals. That endangers the users and can put workers and bystanders at risk from second-hand smoke.

Many of the arguments raised bring to mind the fight mounted 15 years ago by people trying to stop council from prohibiting tobacco smoking in bars, casinos and other gathering spots. They said the move was wrong because customers were exposing themselves to smoke voluntarily, and businesses would close and workers would lose their jobs if puffing cigarettes was only allowed outside on the sidewalk.

Sadly, some operations did shut down, but the public can’t be put in danger of long-term illness to help companies survive.

Edmonton isn’t the only jurisdiction taking action against shisha. Five provinces, Jordan, Turkey, parts of Saudi Arabia and at least three African countries have also prohibited hookahs in restaurants and cafés.

Although nobody wants to interfere with traditional customs, in this case the protection of health is the paramount concern.