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The LIBERAL
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Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015
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LEST WE FORGET Woman headed to Vegas to get bruised, muddy
PAGE 18 CRIME
3 men from Richmond Hill swept up in prostitution sting
STAFF PHOTO/NICK IWANYSHYN
Local hookah pipe smokers worry about ban BY KIM ZARZOUR
kzarzour@yrmg.com
PAGE 14
With the Canadian flag flying proudly overhead, and warm sun bathing the brilliant coloured trees surrounding the cenotaph Sunday morning, Richmond Hill residents of all ages joined veterans, Legion members and politicians to show their respect for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in war. For more photographs, see page 3 and online at yorkregion.com
They may be banned in Toronto, but hookah lounges are, for now, alive and well in York Region. The City of Toronto decision last week to ban hookah use at licensed lounges sent shockwaves north of the Steeles Avenue border, where smoking shisha is a popular social activity. A hookah, or waterpipe, is a device used to smoke moist tobacco or herbal products known as shisha. It’s a traditional activity in Iran, South Asia and the Middle East and has become increasingly popular in the GTA, especially among youth, as it is considered healthier than cigarettes.
‘White people don’t like shisha, but they do like alcohol and marijuana’ ... a ban would be ‘ridiculous’. But a warning by Toronto’s medical officer of health that hookah use brings significant health risks prompted city councillors to vote 34-3 in favour of banning its use at licensed lounges. Smoking tobacco in hookahs in enclosed public spaces or workplaces is not allowed under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, but non-tobacco shisha can be smoked in cafes and lounges. The Toronto report says poor labelling makes it difficult to know whether or not tobacco is being used. It warns both tobacco and non-to-
bacco shisha smoke pose serious health risks. According to the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, waterpipe smoke is at least as toxic as cigarette smoke. The waterpipes do not filter harmful chemicals and particles. A typical onehour session exposes the user to 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke from one cigarette, the World Health Organization says. Non-smokers exposed to the second-hand smoke in shisha cafes are also at risk, according to the City of Toronto Board of Health report. Even if there is no tobacco in the waterpipe, the smoke impacts air quality and can have negative consequences, Toronto Medical Officer of Health David McKeown said. See ‘CULTURAL’, page 31.
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