12 November 2009
KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti MP and a number of doctors have urged residents, both citizens and expatriates, not to shisha in public cafes, citing the move as a preventive measure against contracting or spreading the A H1N1 (swine flu) virus. MP Mohammad Hayef asserted that Shisha is "definitely a major source of [disseminating] the A H1N1 virus and a factor in spreading the deadly disease.
Hayef called on the country's authorities to ban the use of shisha pipes in public cafe's and other places. The new recommendations were made as the Ministry of Health reported the 26th swine flu-related death yesterday, and follows Egypt's complete public ban on shisha use. Egypt is among the countries with the highest rates of regular shisha use worldwide.
The total number of swine flu cases recorded in Kuwait to date stands at 7,718, with the vast majority making a speedy full recovery. The Kuwaiti government is currently considering banning public shisha smoking, despite the long history of the pastime in Kuwait as elsewhere in Arabia.
The shisha pipe, which originated in India, operates by water filtration and indirect heat. The danger to users, according to one expert, is that "the water used in the shisha pipe is generally reused many times by different consumers, meaning that if any of the users are infected with any virus, that can easily be transmitted to the next users.
As well as this, the tube or pipe used to smoke the fumes is not sterilized, making the next user more susceptible to infections or disease." For shisha aficionados, though, the prospect of a ban is bad news. "It will never stop the spread of the deadly swine flu virus since it's just (at a very small guess) one of the [transmission] sources," said shisha fan Ali Safa, a regular customer at one renowned local shisha cafe in Salmiya.
I don't think banning it can stop the virus. So far, our local doctors haven't claimed any of the [swine flu-related] deaths happened because they were smoking shisha," he went on. "If a ban happens, I'll be very upset!
Another shisha enthusiast suggested that the government was going after the wrong targets. "If a ban's imposed, they're sending the wrong message to the public, admitting that they can't do anything and instead stopping trivial things like shisha or our tradition of kissing friends on the cheeks," said another shisha devotee, who refused to give his name.
It's part of our social activities, of human life generally and it's been a part of our culture for a very long time. If you try and stop that, you can expect worse and more negative effects on our society in the future. As for the government, they should find solutions to the problem, real ones, not sacrificing our minor social activities just to prove that at least they're doing something.
Other shisha fans are more accepting of a possible ban though. "Shisha customers, like me, won't like it, but it's about prevention," said Mansour, another shisha enthusiast. "The state has the right to implement any law that could help prevent the spread of any deadly virus. I don't mind giving up my habit if that's for the welfare of the greater population.
KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti MP and a number of doctors have urged residents, both citizens and expatriates, not to shisha in public cafes, citing the move as a preventive measure against contracting or spreading the A H1N1 (swine flu) virus. MP Mohammad Hayef asserted that Shisha is "definitely a major source of [disseminating] the A H1N1 virus and a factor in spreading the deadly disease.
Hayef called on the country's authorities to ban the use of shisha pipes in public cafe's and other places. The new recommendations were made as the Ministry of Health reported the 26th swine flu-related death yesterday, and follows Egypt's complete public ban on shisha use. Egypt is among the countries with the highest rates of regular shisha use worldwide.
The total number of swine flu cases recorded in Kuwait to date stands at 7,718, with the vast majority making a speedy full recovery. The Kuwaiti government is currently considering banning public shisha smoking, despite the long history of the pastime in Kuwait as elsewhere in Arabia.
The shisha pipe, which originated in India, operates by water filtration and indirect heat. The danger to users, according to one expert, is that "the water used in the shisha pipe is generally reused many times by different consumers, meaning that if any of the users are infected with any virus, that can easily be transmitted to the next users.
As well as this, the tube or pipe used to smoke the fumes is not sterilized, making the next user more susceptible to infections or disease." For shisha aficionados, though, the prospect of a ban is bad news. "It will never stop the spread of the deadly swine flu virus since it's just (at a very small guess) one of the [transmission] sources," said shisha fan Ali Safa, a regular customer at one renowned local shisha cafe in Salmiya.
I don't think banning it can stop the virus. So far, our local doctors haven't claimed any of the [swine flu-related] deaths happened because they were smoking shisha," he went on. "If a ban happens, I'll be very upset!
Another shisha enthusiast suggested that the government was going after the wrong targets. "If a ban's imposed, they're sending the wrong message to the public, admitting that they can't do anything and instead stopping trivial things like shisha or our tradition of kissing friends on the cheeks," said another shisha devotee, who refused to give his name.
It's part of our social activities, of human life generally and it's been a part of our culture for a very long time. If you try and stop that, you can expect worse and more negative effects on our society in the future. As for the government, they should find solutions to the problem, real ones, not sacrificing our minor social activities just to prove that at least they're doing something.
Other shisha fans are more accepting of a possible ban though. "Shisha customers, like me, won't like it, but it's about prevention," said Mansour, another shisha enthusiast. "The state has the right to implement any law that could help prevent the spread of any deadly virus. I don't mind giving up my habit if that's for the welfare of the greater population.
By Ben Garcia
© Kuwait Times 2009
