By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
AN Afghan community leader has spoken out on a push to more tightly regulate shisha smoking inside public venues.
Khaliq Fazal, president of the Dandenong-based Afghan Australian Association of Victoria, said it was the “people’s choice” to publicly smoke from hookahs in specialised venues.
“Those who are affected by smoke, don’t go into it.
“I’m personally against smoking. It affects me and when I go to them with my family, I only stay for a short time.
“But when it comes down to it – it socialises people. They sit down and have a coffee and dinner.
“I think it’s their choice.”
He said shisha was a popular trend in Middle Eastern and Asian restaurants, hotels and lounges in Dubai, Melbourne and Greater Dandenong.
“There are other restaurants that are smoke-free and people have the choice to go to those.”
Several Melbourne councils, including Greater Dandenong, and Quit Victoria have been lobbying for Victoria to stop being the only Australian state that makes exemptions for shisha and hookah tobacco to be smoked in public indoor spaces.
World Health Organisation estimates that a one-hour shisha session produced the same volume of inhaled smoke as between 100-200 cigarettes.
Health Minister David Davis said the government had progressively introduced further restrictions on tobacco smoking in public, including bans in children’s play areas and children’s sporting events.
“As part of this series of steps, the government is considering shisha smoking.”
Dandenong shisha lounge owner Ali Jaan said drinking at nightclubs was more of a hazard than his serene venue.
“In nightclubs people get drunk, they get smashed, they get in fights and go to hospital.
“There aren’t too many restrictions on that.”
He said there were no legal age restrictions on entering his lounge but his policy was to refuse entry to under-18s.
Greater Dandenong councillor Matthew Kirwan, who has also moved for tighter restrictions, said it was a concern that the phenomenon was spreading and the State Government wasn’t taking action.
“Thankfully (Mr Jaan’s lounge) is self-regulating (clearly indicating over 18 on their signage) however there is still the health risk of smoking in a confined space.
“The fact that they choose to self-regulate does not mean that future owners of this cafe will, or that others will follow this practice, meaning that in Greater Dandenong and our state in general the health risk from shisha to both children and adults remains.”
