Having at least a puff or a pipe of Shisha, (also known as the hookah or hubbly bubbly), is one of the ‘must-dos’ for many tourists to the UAE and the Middle East.But shisha cafes in the UAE could soon become a thing of the past when anti-smoking legislation is finalized. Many residents also take a liking to smoking a shisha with their coffee and shisha cafes have boomed in the UAE.
Dr Wedad Al Maidour, head of the National Tobacco Control Committee responsible for drafting the law said the tough stance was necessary as shisha-smoking was more dangerous than cigarette-smoking. Studies have shown that one session of shisha-smoking is equal to smoking more than a pack of cigarettes.
"Shisha is more dangerous than cigarettes because of the fumes and the many additives in the tobacco. [All that] is deposited in the lungs," she said.
The whole article and some reader reactions is at
‘Shisha Cafes Face a Hazy Future’, Gulf News, 21 October 2007
Image: Puffing the shisha
