Wellington County wants to see regulation of hookah smoking dealt with on a province-wide basis.
At the March 30 meeting, Wellington County council approved an administration, finance and human resources committee recommendation to urge the province to “prohibit hookah smoking in the same manner as tobacco.”
Council took the action in response to a letter from Medical Officer of Health Dr. Nicola Mercer, CEO of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.
Mercer had asked council to “regulate and restrict hookah establishments from setting up in your area.”
Councillor Chris White, who chairs the county’s administration, finance and human resources committee, said, “We’re suggesting this needs to be done at the provincial level.”
A hookah or a water pipe is used to smoke flavoured tobacco as well as non-tobacco herbal shisha.
In her letter, Mercer notes a recent review on toxicity, physical properties and disease risks, found that smoking “herbal” shisha likely presents the same risks as tobacco shisha.
Mercer also points out 20 Ontario municipalities, including Ottawa, Toronto and Peterborough, have already taken steps to regulate hookah establishments.
Mercer expressed concern that all tobacco and herbal water pipe smoke contains toxicants, including carbon monoxide, tar, polycyclic hydrocarbons and volatile aldehydes.
“Toxicants measured in herbal smoke equal or exceed those found in tobacco water pipe smoke,” Mercer explained. “Water pipe smokers inhale and absorb the same toxicants that are known to cause cancer, heart and lung disease, and dependence in cigarette smokers.”
Currently, non-tobacco or herbal shisha hookah smoking is not regulated under the Smoke Free Ontario Act (SFOA).
The act specifically prohibits “smoking or holding of lighted tobacco” in any enclosed public place or enclosed workplace.
The letter states many hookah proprietors claim their shisha is “herbal” and is heated, not lit, so the SFOA does not apply to them.
