Like it or not, smoking will be banned in all public indoor spaces in the UK by summer 2007. Different areas of the country will be affected at varying times - The smoking ban is under attack for not taking into account ethnic traditions and customs.
Under the new law, restaurants are banned from offering customers shisha pipes, an age-old Arab custom of smoking flavoured tobacco in a water pipe.
Smoke-free (Premises and Enforcement) Regulations and Smoke-free (Signs) Regulations for England come into effect at 6am on Sunday 1st July 2007. From this date smoking will no longer be permitted in any enclosed or substantially enclosed premises or vehicles that are open to the public including pubs, restaurants and all places of work (some exceptions apply including designated smoking rooms in hotels or residential nursing homes).
Should these regulations be contravened individuals can face on-the-spot fines of £50 which can rise to up to £1000 should the issue be brought to court. Employers/managers of the premises can also face a fine of £200 — this figures can rise to as much as £2500 if not paid within the correct timeframe.
The UK smoking ban follows similar decisions made in several parts of Europe the USA. If you're a smoker in protest over the British ban, count your lucky stars you don't live in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, where the sale and use of tobacco is completely outlawed.
Where will smoking be banned?
Smoking in all indoor public places will be banned. Many places - such as cinemas and public transport - have rarely permitted smoking in recent years, and so it will be places like pubs, restaurants, nightclubs and private members' clubs that feel the biggest impact of the ban.
Where will you be able to smoke?
You'll still be allowed to light up outdoors, in the home or places considered to be 'homes', such as prisons, care homes and hotels.
Smoking could still be banned at certain outdoor locations that are 'substantially enclosed', such as football grounds and railway platforms. No decision has yet been made on smoking inside cars carrying passengers.
What will happen if I'm caught fag-in-hand?
If you're caught smoking in a banned area you could be fined £50.
But who's really going to care if I light up a sneaky one?
Those in charge of the premises would be fools to let you get away with it, especially considering that they could face a £2,500 fine if they fail to stop you. They could also be charged on-the-spot fines of £200 if they fail to display no-smoking signs, with the penalty increasing to £1,000 if the issue goes to court.
When will the ban come into force?
This depends on the area of the UK:
England - July 1, 2007
The initial plans for a partial ban in England were binned because Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt felt it was impractical and wouldn't offer enough protection from passive smoking for workers in places such as bars and clubs.
Scotland - March 2006
It's hoped that the ban will have a very positive impact on the Scottish nation, since smoking here is attributable to a shocking one in four of all deaths.
Wales - April 2, 2007
The UK government allowed Wales to decide on its own smoking ban, despite the fact that the Welsh Assembly isn't normally given such wide-ranging powers. Wales was actually the first part of the UK to vote for a full smoking ban.
Northern Ireland - April 30, 2007
Three years after the Republic of Ireland's total ban, Northern Ireland is following suit. No-one has a right to subject colleagues and workmates to the dangers and hazards of second-hand smoke," says its Health Minister Shaun Woodward.
At 6am (UK time) on July 01, 2007, the UK goes 'no smoking' in enclosed public places - including some outdoor areas. Is a popular Middle Eastern custom in danger?
Edgware Road in north London smells very different than it did a day ago. Walking along on Saturday, one had to fight through the throngs of Middle Easterners who frequent the popular district of the city. Arabs who flocked to the cafes could sample a slice of Damascus or Cairo in the heart of London. The aromas - usually apple-flavoured tobacco, but sometimes watermelon, or strawberry - could be smelt from almost every restaurant, every cafe.
The area had come to be known as the 23rd Arab state with Arabic very nearly its official language. But Edgware Road's Middle Eastern allure could now fade into a pipe dream.
Bubbly no more
On Sunday Patrons of this popular district's cafes seem to be in a sense of limbo and inside seating areas are largely bereft of young Arabs and a usually crowded street is calm and subdued. Cafe owners and community leaders blame a smoking ban which went into effect on Sunday.
They say it has sparked fears of an end to London's "shisha street" and could lead to tensions between British Arabs and the government.
The government is not budging. The law, which went into effect at 6am on Sunday, is designed to protect non-smokers in restaurants and bars from the effects of nicotine. The Department of Health says shisha cafe owners had their chance to get involved in the public consultations and forums last year. The government insists it gave copies of the proposals to community representatives, but they did not reply.
Read the Government's response
The legislation which came into force in England on 1 July 2007 protects people from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke in enclosed public places and workplaces. Secondhand smoke from cigarettes, cigars, pipes and shisha pipes is harmful. As a result shisha pipes are treated the same in the legislation as other smoking products.
This is in line with international evidence and recommendations. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that:
"using a water pipe to smoke tobacco poses a serious potential health hazard to smokers and others exposed to the smoke emitted"
It also states:
"second-hand smoke from water pipes is a mixture of tobacco smoke in addition to smoke from the fuel, and therefore poses a serious health risk for non-smokers"
The WHO advice concludes:
"water pipes should be prohibited in public places consistent with bans on cigarette and other forms of tobacco smoking. "
The 2005 WHO report Water pipe Tobacco Smoke: Health effects, research needs and recommended actions by regulators is available on there website (new window).
The legislation, which came into force on 1 July 2007, does not prevent smoking of shisha pipes or other products in non-enclosed public places and workplaces, such as outside area of cafes, nor does it prevent smoking of shisha pipes or other products in private homes.
We have special offers on Shishas to help people buy there own shisha pipe and these offers can be found HERE.
We at ShishaPipe strive to attain customer loyalty through superior product quality, low Prices and excellent customer service.
Our prices are low because we import all Shisha pipes and accessories directly. This allows us to attain only truly authentic Shisha pipes and pass the savings on to our customers.
We have been in the business long enough to know what a quality Shisha / Hookah / Nargile is made of.
All products are designed and built to last a lifetime.
ShishaPipeUK are also distributors for the None Tobacco Molasses which is available in Mint, Aniseed, Apple, Mixed Fruit, Strawberry, double apple, pineapple, cherry, coffee, vanilla, raspberry blueberry, mintos, mint, rose, liquorice, mango, peach, choco mint, pudina (Spearmint), orange, watermelon, coconut, bombay pan masalla, silver fox apple, golden amber apple, lime and lemon and Grape.
We can also provide this product with any flavor you like as long as the quantity placed is large enough.
The future is None Tobacco Molasses with NO TOBACCO, NO TAR and NO NICOTINE makes this product a must for all types of UK based shisha business.
The Healthy shisha smoke.
This unique hookah has a built in ice chamber right under the tray. The ice chamber’s purpose is to give you a cooler and smoother smoke each and every time. Putting ice in the chamber is optional, but you’ll feel the difference once you’ve tried it.
