Hookah-less Vancouver

Provincial by-laws will prevail and Vancouver's hookah houses will be closed down. According to CKNW this morning, "The rules are intended to protect workers, but cigar store owners who have smoking rooms argued the rooms are for clients and staff don't enter." Anyone ever been to a hookah house? Anyone ever seen the people working there smoking the pipe? I go, not regularly since I own my own shisha, but when I do go it is precisely to smoke a hookah and talk to the other people in the shop. There's nothing else offered in these little cafes besides one kind of tea - no food, no alcohol, no drugs. These are not destinations for people who want to chill out in a smokeless environment or imbibe in a variety of teas or other beverages. Every time I've been to a hookah house, EVERYONE is smoking, including the staff.

Now you might argue the smoke thing smells gross and a lot of people are allergic or react violently to it. My mom is one such person and eating out on a patio is not an option since even outdoors the smoke causes her to have a migraine. However, I fired up my shisha in front of her the other day and smoked it. Nothing, no reaction to the smell or smoke. Her only issue with it is moral. And for the record, I never have to air out my clothes for two days afterwards, nor do they smell stale.

Now I haven't done any scientific research into this and the hazards of smoking a hookah and I know there are lots of people who argue for the evils of it. So I invite people to comment on my seeming ignorance. In case you haven't grasped what I'm getting at here, I think the bylaw is not based on anything substantial and is stupid for lack of a better word.

Thankfully they haven't banned smoking in my own living room, although at the rate they do things in the West to keep us 'safe' I'm sure that will happen in the future. Until then, if anyone wants to come over and smoke a lovely pipe of apple or cherry, drop me a line. I'll fire up the pipe, brew a lovely pot of tea and haul out the backgammon set. Smoke all you want, the charcoal's cooking.