On Aug. 31, Ottawa City Council voted to ban people from smoking water pipes, also known as hookahs, on outdoor restaurant and bar patios. The new ban is both unfounded and will do little to stop young people from smoking.
The city stated in a press release that it wants to de-normalize smoking for youth and young adults. A 2013 report from the University of Waterloo states that smoking rates in Canadian youth is already low. The same study found that only around three per cent of people aged 15 to 24 reported smoking a water pipe in the last 30 days. This means that it is by no means a normalized behaviour for the overwhelming majority of young people.
One of the other reasons stated for the ban is that it will protect people from inhaling second-hand smoke. While this is a noble goal, banning water pipes from outdoor areas will do almost nothing to prevent second-hand smoke. For one, most restaurants that serve hookah aren’t in areas with many pedestrians. You’re much more likely to get a lung-full of second-hand cigarette smoke when walking in front of any downtown office building than in front of a hookah bar.
Banning hookah on restaurant patios will also hurt businesses that have depended on the sale of water pipes for years, while doing very little to deter young people away from the harms of tobacco smoking.
The city should rethink its approach on tackling the issue of tobacco smoking and should not enforce bans without the proper research of smoking trends in our city.
