DOHA: Cafes and restaurants serving shisha may have to display warning messages on health effects caused by tobacco products.
“We are trying to make cafes put pictures showing health problems caused by shisha,” said Dr Ahmed Mohamed Al Mulla, Head, Smoking Cessation Clinic, Hamad Medical Corporation, on the sidelines of the conference.
A study by HMC has found that pollution caused by shisha inside a closed place is 40 times higher compared to an open area.
“So it is very dangerous. It’s essential to implement laws to prohibit smoking in closed places. More specific laws should also be introduced. Many people think shisha is less dangerous. But it can be 10 times harmful than cigarettes. We need to do more research to prove that it’s harmful and put more policies in place to control shisha smoking,” he said.
According to statistics, some 37 percent of those aged 15 and above in Qatar are smokers, but no specific data on shisha smoking is available. “We are going to start a fresh research to find how many people smoke shisha, how many smoke cigarettes and chew tobacco. We will also focus on the number of men and women who smoke shisha, their behaviours and attitudes,” he said.
The Peninsula
