THE rising popularity of shisha among young people in Bradford has been described as “concerning” by public health officials.
And they say many people do not realise that a single shisha session can be equivalent to smoking more than 100 cigarettes.
Shisha use was discussed at a meeting of Bradford Council’s Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee, where members were given an update on work being done to reduce smoking rates across the district.
Public health officers also gave updates on the smoking of shisha and vapes during the meeting.
A report to the committee said there are currently 26 shisha bars in the Bradford district, mainly located in the city centre and Keighley, and that smoking shisha is “becoming popular with young people and university students".
Shisha is a method of smoking tobacco, which is often flavoured, through a water pipe.
Councillors were told that because it differs from regular smoking, many users don’t see it as being as harmful when it can, in fact, cause many similar health problems to directly smoking tobacco.
It is expected that the new tobacco and vapes bill that will be introduced by the Government in the coming years could see Councils given greater powers over shisha lounges, which will soon require licences.
Like with pubs and bars, Councils would then have the power to revoke the licence of any shisha lounge that breaks its licence conditions.
The report that went before the committee said: “Shisha, also known as hookah, narghile, or waterpipe, involves smoking flavoured tobacco through a water-based apparatus.
“It has become increasingly popular in Bradford, gaining popularity among young adults and university students in particular. This trend is concerning, as it may lead to increased tobacco addiction and related health issues.
“Many users of shisha believe that shisha smoking is safer than cigarettes due to the water filtration and fruity flavours.
“However, this is a misconception.
“The smoke from shisha contains harmful toxins, including carbon monoxide, heavy metals, and carcinogens, which are detrimental to health.
“Shisha products often lack proper health warnings and content information, leading to a false sense of security among users.
“The social nature of shisha smoking also means that individuals may consume large amounts of smoke over extended periods, increasing exposure to harmful substances.
“Shisha bars do not require a licence or specific planning permission, and as such, the number of shisha bars has grown in the district, with now at least 26 bars across central Bradford and Keighley.
“Under the new tobacco and vapes bill, it's widely anticipated that the proposed licensing scheme for tobacco will also cover vapes and other non-medicinal nicotine products, including shisha.
“Once the Bill and related regulations are passed, shops will need a licence to sell these products, potentially enabling great local opportunity to restrict licences and improve health.”
At the meeting, committee member Sue Crowe pointed out that she had heard a single shisha session was the equivalent of smoking more than 100 cigarettes.
Rose Dunlop, Interim Director of Public Health, said: “Anecdotally, shisha users have a misconception that it is a safer, cleaner way of smoking.”
She said it was popular due to the social aspect – people often gather in groups to smoke.
Mrs Dunlop added: “Some communities chose to go to the pub and have a pint, others chose to use shisha. It is about that social connection.”
She said shisha was particularly popular with university students in Bradford.
Officers told members that the public health department was working with the University of Bradford and local mosques to get better messaging out about shisha use and dispel “myths and misconceptions".
Members were told the upcoming changes to legislation would help regulate shisha bars and could be a “game changer”, but there was a risk its use could move to “illegal spaces".
Mikhail Foster, a public health officer at Bradford Council, said: “We need to look at how we better convey the harms.
“A challenge we see is people don’t recognise shisha use as smoking – they don’t see it as a concern.”
