Hookah pipe users, owners in Richmond Hill worry about possible ban

York Region has 17 hookah establishments

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 10, 2015
By Kim Zarzour

They may be banned in Toronto, but hookah lounges are, for now, alive and well in York Region.

The City of Toronto decision last week to ban hookah use at licensed lounges sent shockwaves north of the Steeles Avenue border, where smoking shisha is a popular social activity.

A hookah, or waterpipe, is a device used to smoke moist tobacco or herbal products known as shisha (which is often flavoured or mixed with fruit). It’s a traditional activity in Iran, South Asia and the Middle East and has become increasingly popular in the GTA, especially among youth, as it is considered a healthier option than cigarettes.

But a warning by Toronto’s medical officer of health that hookah use brings significant health risks prompted city councillors to vote 34-3 in favour of banning its use at licensed lounges.

Smoking tobacco in hookahs in enclosed public spaces or workplaces is not allowed under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, but non-tobacco shisha can be legally smoked in cafes and lounges.

The Toronto report says poor labelling makes it difficult to know whether or not tobacco is being used - and it warns that both tobacco and non-tobacco shisha smoke pose serious health risks.

According to the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, waterpipe smoke is at least as toxic as cigarette smoke. The waterpipes do not filter harmful chemicals and particles. A typical one-hour session exposes the user to 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke from one cigarette, the World Health Organization says.

Non-smokers exposed to the second-hand smoke in shisha cafes are also at risk, according to the report to the City of Toronto Board of Health report.

Even if there is no tobacco in the waterpipe, the smoke impacts air quality and can have negative consequences, while at the same time contributing to social acceptability of smoking in public places, Toronto Medical Officer of Health David McKeown said.

The motion passed by Toronto councillors would stop any hookah smoking, with or without tobacco.

But it’s business as usual in York Region, where 17 such establishments are scattered across the southern part of the region, according Joe Lamarca, director of health protection for the Region of York.

Lamarca said the region is watching the Toronto approach with interest.

“We recognize the health message,” he said. “We don’t want to normalize this sort of behaviour. Young folks who see people using it, they think it’s okay and safe, when that’s probably not the case.

York Region vendors are telling the regional health authorities their pipes contain herbs, not tobacco, which is legal, he said, but that issue requires further investigation.

Amendments to the Smoke-free Ontario Act that come into effect in January may help, he added. At that point, there will be a ban on sales of tobacco-flavoured products, giving regional health authorities the power to seize and test any shisha for tobacco.

“It’s early days still, and it’s something we’ll be watching closely.”

Hookah lounge owners are also watching the situation with keen interest - and with trepidation.

Mo Hosseini, who, along with his brother Mehdi owns Shiraz Shisha in Oak Ridges, said he and his employees were disappointed to hear of the ban in Toronto; they worry it will happen here, too.

“Everybody’s got mortgages, and we’re feeding families. This is a concern. It’s not like we’re doing anything illegal.”
His establishment offers herbal shisha only and restricts service to those aged 19 and over.

The brothers purchased the restaurant six years ago; two years ago they added shisha.

“It’s not full-on shisha. We have a restaurant, catering too. It’s like a community where people come in and watch games.”

Hookah smoking should be an individual decision, just as alcohol is, Hosseini said.

“It’s not like they’re getting high or drunk or anything and it’s not addictive. There’s a lot more dangerous things out there.”

The brothers say there is less worry operating a hookah lounge than a bar. where there could be issues with drinking and driving, he said.

Their establishment has a liquor licence, but caters primarily to Middle Eastern clientele “and they’re not big fans of alcohol”.

His customers are also worried they will lose their hookah hangout, he says, and health concerns don’t seem to be a factor.

Richmond Hill resident and shisha-user Rosa Gheisari, 22, said the community aspect is one of the big appeals.

“Smoking shisha is a communal activity. It is also a cultural activity ... It is my hobby, as it is for many of my other friends, as well. We stay indoors, play games, drink our tea, and socialize.”

While she appreciates the health concerns, she said, “that does not give them the right to take away something that has cultural values to many of us who are from the Middle East ... Yes, it is harmful, but it’s my body. The city shouldn’t be making a decision for me and my health.”

Hosseini suggests improved inspection and health enforcement - making sure waterpipes are clean for example - would be better than an outright ban.

Leila Fallah, co-owner of Behesht Cafe in downtown Richmond Hill, agrees. She said she has contacted Richmond Hill’s new Iranian-Canadian MP Majid Jowhari with hopes he can push for restrictions, rules or licences for hookah lounges instead of a ban.

As she prepared for an influx of about 100 Friday night customers that would keep her busy until 2 a.m., Fallah worried that a ban in York Region would put her out of business. Meantime, a new marijuana store in the same building as her hookah lounge on Yonge Street appears to be thriving.

“This is ridiculous - the new [federal] government wants to legalize marijuana and that’s more harmful than even tobacco. We don’t even offer tobacco, just herbal.”

The government is proud to support multiculturalism, and yet they appear to be discriminating against a cultural group’s practice, she added.

“White people don’t like shisha, but they do like alcohol and marijuana. I immigrated to this country from Iran because of the freedom ... Unfortunately, here is worse. I pay lots of taxes and now this?”

Her business employs 10 people and they will all lose their jobs, she said.

“If they cut the shisha from us, 100 per cent, this place is going to be empty. It’s not an easy business. My husband and I are working until 2 to 3 a.m. and that’s okay, we don’t want to beg from the government, but I am 40 years old. I cannot go find another job.”