The number of “hubble bubble” shisha bars in London has risen by almost 150 per cent since the smoking ban was introduced five years ago, from 137 to 340.
According to the British Heart Foundation, during a typical hour-long session smoking flavoured tobacco through one of the water pipes you can inhale the same amount of smoke as from more than 100 cigarettes.
Yet more than half of Londoners surveyed were unaware that the pipes burn tobacco. “Shisha is not safer than cigarettes,” warned Dr Mike Knapton of the foundation.
“Don’t be duped by the sweet smell and wholesome-sounding fruity flavours, if you use shisha you are a smoker and that means you’re putting your health at risk.
“It’s linked to the same life-threatening diseases as cigarettes and there are added risks because you often smoke it for far longer than you would a cigarette and you’re also exposed to toxins from the wood or charcoal used to burn the tobacco.”
The figures - published today to coincide with No Smoking Day - show there are shisha bars in almost 80 per cent of London’s 33 boroughs. Many have avoided the indoor smoking ban by building outside terraces.
Shisha smoking is linked to heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease and problems during pregnancy. But one in seven adults in London surveyed by the foundation thought there were no health issues from using shisha.
