UAE: Smoking One Shisha Pipe is Equivalent to 140 Cigarettes

Source from:  The National Newspaper 12/07/2015

Pre-marital screening by the Health Authority Abu Dhabi in 2011 found that 6.8 per cent of men and 2.8 per cent of women smoke shisha, the majority of them in the 20 to 29 age group.

One shisha pipe and the charcoal is the equivalent to smoking about 140 cigarettes, Haad said.

In women, second-hand smoke can cause fertility problems and smoking shisha is also blamed on about 1.5 million deaths in women every year globally.

Smoking shisha during pregnancy increases risks of premature delivery, stillbirth and newborn death. Women constitute 64 per cent of deaths from second-hand smoke.

New posters similar to images on cigarette packets are being introduced in Dubai as soon as possible to help educate people on the dangers of smoking shisha. They will be compulsory for businesses to display and form part of the requirements to apply for a permit.

It follows an amendment to federal law number 15 of 2009 on tobacco control to ensure all cafes and restaurants selling shisha use disposable hoses. The law became subject to prosecution from October 15.

Sam Jannan, an American, is manager of the City Port Cafe in Dubai Marina, and has been in the city for three years. He said the changes have not affected business but he was unclear about other regulations.

"The new disposable hoses have been a good thing," he said.

"There is nothing set yet about a separate smoking area - we haven't received any advisories yet. Anyone who is under 18 is prohibited from even getting into the cafe.

"They (smokers) can sit outside and be accompanied by children. We get regular inspections from the municipality, if they see anyone under-age inside, we get fined." Enditem