SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — The Ministry of Health of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has decreed to stop licensing the use of shisha pipes in public places in the Kurdistan Region and not renew the existing licenses until the council of ministers makes a final decision on the matter.
“In addition to not issuing license to new places, we also decided not to renew the old licenses until a final decision is made by the presidency of the ministerial council to ban them (shisha pipes),” Dr Khalis Qadir, the spokesperson of the KRG Ministry of Health, told Rudaw on Sunday.
Called ‘shisha,’ ‘nergala,’ or ‘hookah,’ the moist and sometimes flavorful tobacco is often enjoyed by smokers publicly in cafes or restaurants.
Many of the establishments offer smoking or non-smoking sections to patrons; however, some lack proper partitions or ventilation to prevent the smoke from spreading into non-smoking areas.
Sulaimani's Tourism Department introduced a bill in November 2016 to ban the smoking of hookah and live music in certain restaurants and cafes, additionally it was reported that the bill banned the smoking of hookah in basement cafes, unventilated places, on sidewalks and for people under 18 years old.
Some government officials said the decision was because live music in some restaurants disturbs nearby residential homes.
Some business owners in Sulaimani told Rudaw that they were angered by the proposal.
The head of Kurdish National Arts Society said that these decisions show the Tourism Department's disorganization.
Qadir told Rudaw in 2014 that “Narghile is more dangerous than (cigarette) smoking by far.”
“In addition to not issuing license to new places, we also decided not to renew the old licenses until a final decision is made by the presidency of the ministerial council to ban them (shisha pipes),” Dr Khalis Qadir, the spokesperson of the KRG Ministry of Health, told Rudaw on Sunday.
Called ‘shisha,’ ‘nergala,’ or ‘hookah,’ the moist and sometimes flavorful tobacco is often enjoyed by smokers publicly in cafes or restaurants.
Many of the establishments offer smoking or non-smoking sections to patrons; however, some lack proper partitions or ventilation to prevent the smoke from spreading into non-smoking areas.
Sulaimani's Tourism Department introduced a bill in November 2016 to ban the smoking of hookah and live music in certain restaurants and cafes, additionally it was reported that the bill banned the smoking of hookah in basement cafes, unventilated places, on sidewalks and for people under 18 years old.
Some government officials said the decision was because live music in some restaurants disturbs nearby residential homes.
Some business owners in Sulaimani told Rudaw that they were angered by the proposal.
The head of Kurdish National Arts Society said that these decisions show the Tourism Department's disorganization.
Qadir told Rudaw in 2014 that “Narghile is more dangerous than (cigarette) smoking by far.”
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