Hookah bars may be snuffed out in Vancouver

by Rob Peters | July 7, 2008 at 06:31 pm | 1341 views | 30 comments
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City council will decide this week if hookah lounges ought to be banned in Vancouver. At issue is whether hookah smoke, which is largely generated from burning dried fruit, falls under province-wide regulations that ban tobacco use in public places.

See previous coverage here.

The days may be numbered for hookah bars in Vancouver.

City staff say the establishments are breaking the provincial health by-laws.

Those sweeping tobacco regulations that saw a three-metre buffer zone between smokers and doorways, as well as a ban on smoking indoors, have been in effect for three months.

Hookah bars have been largely exempt from those regulations, but Vancouver city staff are recommending no further amendments to the health by-laws, effectively stopping hookah patrons from lighting up.

The hookah bars in Vancouver have argued since a fruit-based substance is being burned in the bowls, and not tobacco, they are in compliance.

But city staff say smoke is smoke regardless of the source.

Council will be reviewing the recommendations this week.

Source: cknw.com

A hookah (Hindi: हुक़्क़ा, Urdu: حقّہ, transliteration: ḥuqqa), or shisha is a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-based) water pipe for smoking. Originally from India, it has gained popularity, especially in the Arab world,[1] particularly under the Ottoman Empire. A hookah operates by water filtration and indirect heat. It can be used for smoking herbal fruits.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

Recently many cities, states and countries have implemented smoking bans. In some jurisdictions, hookah businesses can be exempted from the policies through special permits. Some permits however, have requirements such as the business earning a certain minimum percentage of their revenue from alcohol or tobacco.

In some cases, hookah bars have been forced to close or consider alternatives, such as offering non-tobacco based maasel. In many cities though, hookah lounges have been growing in popularity. From the year 2000 to 2004, over 200 new hookah cafes opened for business, most of which are targeted at a young-adult age group,[8]and were particularly near college campuses or cities with large Middle-Eastern communities. This activity continues to grow in popularity within the post-secondary student demographic.

In Canada, the term 'shisha' is more commonly used than 'hookah'.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

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Add a comment Comments (30)

mtippett
  • super editor
mtippett

at 19:14 on July 7th, 2008

Another case of monoculturism gone too far.

eastvanray
eastvanray

at 19:17 on July 7th, 2008

good stuff:

Rob Peters, I like this story. It's good stuff.

If they are saying that they do not burn tobacco they are lying.  I have smoked a hookah and the substance is fruit-flavoured tobacco.  Yes they flavour it with real fruit but it is still tobacco.

Barry Artiste
Barry Artiste

at 19:24 on July 7th, 2008

good stuff:

Rob Peters, I like this story. It's good stuff. of course it should be snuffed, it should never have been started by self serving Politicians who were looking for more votes, regardless of our laws.,

nickkembel
nickkembel

at 07:10 on July 9th, 2008

Hookah Bars can be enjoyed in any region of the world. This one is located in Seoul, South Korea.

nickkembel has contributed a photo to this story.

jordan
  • super editor
jordan

at 08:28 on July 9th, 2008

Did Vancouver also ban cigar clubs? Actually, does Van even have cigar clubs? (This was a popular workaround for NYC smokers once the ban took effect)

JoelVillasenor
JoelVillasenor

at 10:44 on July 9th, 2008

Loss of places to enjoy a good hookah would be very sad.

JoelVillasenor has contributed a photo to this story.

PhillyBlunt
PhillyBlunt

at 10:40 on July 9th, 2008

This Picture was taken at a Hookah bar in London 6/29/07

PhillyBlunt has contributed a photo to this story.

Melle_Oh
Melle_Oh

at 10:47 on July 9th, 2008

This Hookah Bar was called 'Nile' and is located in Allston, Massachusetts (right outside of Boston). It was a really chill little place!

Melle_Oh has contributed a photo to this story.

retardedhusky
retardedhusky

at 11:25 on July 9th, 2008

When I first went to a hookah bar, I was expecting to be surrounded by vagrants and druggies. On the very flip side, I experienced a very comfortable, clean, and exotic evening full of really great people! The local hookah lounge in Madison, Wisconsin is my favorite place to hang out, and I never smoke a hookah.

retardedhusky has contributed a photo to this story.

christie
christie

at 12:22 on July 9th, 2008

This photo was taken at Shouk, a hookah bar in Philadelphia.

christie has contributed a photo to this story.

dunkelberg
dunkelberg

at 12:32 on July 9th, 2008

From some of the more reactionary posts I have seen here, it would seem, particularly in B.C., that all a shisha lounge owner has to so is mention discrimination against Middle Eastern culture and the walls will come tumbling down, health and safety laws be damned.

Don't tell me this PCBC scenario is the wrong view of life in Vancouver.


Barry Artiste
Barry Artiste

at 17:14 on July 9th, 2008

No Dunkleberg, you said everything correctly~

pratim
pratim

at 12:39 on July 9th, 2008

Hookah bars have become quite popular in the Indian subcontinent in the last few years and it has become quite fashionable to be seen at a hookah bar as opposed to a regular bar...

pratim has contributed a photo to this story.

dewey_decimal
dewey_decimal

at 13:05 on July 9th, 2008

Sharing some banana-split tobacco at Narah, a Calgary hookah bar.

dewey_decimal has contributed a photo to this story.

Symbiosis
Symbiosis

at 14:39 on July 9th, 2008

I dined at a Lebanese restaurant in Chicago and after dinner they brought around a "hookah" to smoke. It was a combination of tobacco, molasses and some apple scent. I don't smoke so this was a new experience. I smoked a cigar once in college and this was not nearly that bad.

Symbiosis has contributed a photo to this story.

René
René

at 16:45 on July 9th, 2008

they're probably afraid they are smoking pot or hashish in those hookahs!

eastvanray
eastvanray

at 18:40 on July 9th, 2008

Actually that is the funny nthing....in Vancouver smoking pot will not get you in any trouble (it is supporting a local agricultural industry).

kevin_raymond
kevin_raymond

at 18:41 on July 9th, 2008

this is jerusalem cafe in kansas city

kansas city recently approved a smoking ban but the hookah bar became a members only club in order to get around it. the membership fee is just five dollars a year.

kevin_raymond has contributed a photo to this story.

MacKensie!
MacKensie!

at 21:00 on July 9th, 2008

This was a lovely, low key celebration in Seoul, South Korea -- better than drinking all night!

MacKensie! has contributed a photo to this story.

SlickNick1
SlickNick1

at 21:22 on July 9th, 2008

SlickNick1 has contributed a photo to this story.

alexis arnold
alexis arnold

at 22:16 on July 9th, 2008

La Concha in Barcelona

alexis arnold has contributed a photo to this story.

Gadlen
Gadlen

at 22:19 on July 9th, 2008

Sweet Melon hookah at Nader's in Fredericksburg VA.

Gadlen has contributed a photo to this story.

BulletToothTobi
BulletToothTobi

at 23:31 on July 9th, 2008

This was taken at a great hookah bar in san fran... Also you could look at Algiers in Fort Collins Colorado... The tea there is an amazing secrete recipe and should not be missed.

BulletToothTobi has contributed a photo to this story.

BulletToothTobi
BulletToothTobi

at 23:33 on July 9th, 2008

good stuff:

Rob Peters, is hopefully stoping the ban of hookah bars in canada. Kudos to his story.

Walking Fish
Walking Fish

at 03:48 on July 10th, 2008

Tokyo, Japan

Walking Fish has contributed a photo to this story.

lovelymissdeeds
lovelymissdeeds

at 23:19 on July 10th, 2008

Nargile (hookah) bar in Taksim, Istanbul, Turkey.

lovelymissdeeds has contributed a photo to this story.

innesplace
innesplace

at 01:39 on July 11th, 2008

The lovely colors of the KASBAH on the drag in Austin, TX.

innesplace has contributed a photo to this story.

Fun Pictures from Bkk
Fun Pictures from Bkk

at 02:00 on July 15th, 2008

Pictures submitted by Fun Pictures from BKK are taken on the island of Koh Samet in the southern gulf of Thailand. Hutch and Jen have a hookah bar on the beach named Gypsy T. For more information email them at info@gypsytkohsamet.com or visit on the web at www.gypsytkohsamet.com. Come experience our Amazing Thailand!

Fun Pictures from Bkk has contributed a photo to this story.

Angelica Vil
Angelica Vil

at 10:48 on July 16th, 2008

good stuff:

Rob Peters, I like this story. It's good stuff.

BurgundySyl
BurgundySyl

at 23:46 on August 3rd, 2008

I frequent hookah bars all over the country. It's a great way to have a cup of tea, chat with friends and unwind. It's silly that your government officials are trying to outlaw it.

Please feel free to email me if you need any more help, and good luck!

Best regards,

Sylvia

BurgundySyl has contributed a photo to this story.

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July 7, 2008 at 06:31 pm by Rob Peters, 1341 views, 30 comments

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eastvanray
First Flagged at 7:17 PM, Jul 7, 2008 by eastvanray
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