Canadian Hookah smokers told to butt out,Muslims view ban 'taking away our right as a multicultural society"!

Opinion

Barry Artiste

Somehow Vancouver, just got a lot less Multicultural, when hookah lounges are now banned under Vancouver, British Columbia's Non Smoking Bylaw.

When the Smoking Ban came into effect, Hookah lounges were allowed as a cultural necessity, leaving many traditional Smokers looking for a place to blow some smoke, feel somehow the governments political correctness was blowing smoke up our Wazoo's.

Now with Hookah lounges banned, it is a level playing field across the board. Satisfying Bylaws, but enraging smokers.

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=1bd2730e-430d-413a-be3c-af00995a9f64

Hookah smokers told to butt out, too Muslims view ban as 'taking away our right as a multicultural society'

Maria Cootauco, The Province

Published: Sunday, August 31, 2008

Abbas Bansaid is hoping the City of Vancouver is just blowing smoke over his hookah lounge. Bansaid, owner of Ahwaz Hookah House on West Georgia Street, was told to shut his business Sunday because he was violating the city's anti-smoking bylaw.

He's choosing to stand his ground. Bansaid opened for business Sunday and vowed to stay open "today, tomorrow and into the distant future," despite the threat of fines and forced closure.

Last year, smoking was banned on all restaurant and bar patios and in smoking rooms and transit shops in Vancouver, with the exception of hookah lounges.

Now, however, the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority has told Bansaid and Abdolhamid Mohammadian of the Persian Tea House on Davie Street that they, too, are covered by the ban.