Save our shisha bars! | Spiked

Reem Ibrahim writes for Spiked

The UK government’s proposed ban on smoking in outdoor spaces has sparked understandable fears for the hospitality industry – especially for pubs, clubs, sports venues and terraced restaurants, whose outdoor areas will be forced to become smoke-free.

One type of venue that has been largely overlooked in the debate so far is shisha bars. For those unaware, shisha, or water pipes, are a Middle Eastern method of smoking tobacco. While they originate overseas, shisha lounges have become a feature of urban life in many British cities, especially in Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and London.

London’s Edgware Road is usually buzzing with people enjoying shisha with friends and family, often alongside a warm cup of mint tea or Turkish coffee. The street is renowned for its vast array of Middle Eastern restaurants and shisha cafés, where lightly flavoured smoke wafts through the air, and the clinking of non-alcoholic drinks can be overheard among civilised conversation between loved ones after a day of work.

Read the full article in Spiked here