The owner of two Shisha cafes in Manchester has been fined over £1500 and ordered to pay a further £1200 in costs after illegal Shisha pipe smoking was found to be occurring on the premises. Councillors in Manchester have condemned the café owner, especially as he had previously been warned about allowing smoking in his restaurant. It is hoped that the fine will act as a deterrent to other bars and restaurants allowing Shisha smoking to take place illegally.

Since the smoking ban came into force in England in 2007, smoking indoors in public areas has been illegal. Shisha bars can allow smoking within the law, but this can only take place in areas where there are three sides of the area open for ventilation. As the number of Shisha bars has increased in towns and cities across the country, there have been growing concerns that not all of the bars are operating within the law and allowing smoking of Shisha pipes in areas where there is little or no ventilation. Police and environmental officers in Manchester have been cracking down on illegal Shisha smoking over the past few months, also fining another café owner on the grounds of similar offences.

In addition to concerns over the legality involved with smoking Shisha pipes, there are concerns from health campaigners that the dangers of smoking tobacco via Shisha pipes are not properly promoted by Shisha bar owners and as such, people are unknowingly putting themselves at risk. “People may think that smoking Shisha is not as harmful as cigarettes, but all the evidence says this is not the case”, commented Councillor Nigel Murphy.