Toronto Public Health wants hookah smoking banned from licensed establishments
Posted May 25, 2015 2:34 pm.
Last Updated May 25, 2015 3:02 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
They are the last bastion for those who enjoy smoking inside an establishment in Toronto, but hookah bars may soon go the way of cigar lounges if Toronto Public Health has its way.
A new report to be presented to the Toronto Board of Health on June 1 will urge that hookah smoking be banned in licensed establishments.
“Using a hookah to smoke any substance poses health risks, such as heart and lung diseases, lung cancer and other respiratory problems to users and those exposed to second-hand smoke, including employees,” Dr. David McKeown, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, said in a release.
“Hookah smoking is on the rise among young people, who often mistakenly believe it is a safe form of smoking.”
Hookahs, often referred to as waterpipes, are used to smoke moist tobacco or non-tobacco herbal products (shisha), using charcoal to heat the substance.
“The Smoke-Free Ontario Act (SFOA) bans smoking tobacco in a hookah in indoor public places and workplaces, but there is currently no law prohibiting indoor non-tobacco hookah use in Toronto establishments,” the release said.
“Hookah use in public places undermines the success of the SFOA and other smoke-free laws because it contributes to the social acceptability of smoking in public. This change is an important step toward creating safer and healthier spaces for residents,” Dr. McKeown said.
