Is Toronto’s Proposed Ban on Shisha Racist?

Toronto is considering the idea of banning shisha, intending to lead a crackdown on hookah smoking establishments. So beware: If you are a hookah-smoking caterpillar, you might want to change your destination, because you won’t find a place to chill out and reminisce over good memories back home as you take a nice flavorful drag.

Toronto’s medical officer David McKeown said that shisha smoking is on the rise among young people and claimed that many of them are under the mistaken impression that it is a safe form of smoking.

Meanwhile, owners of Toronto shisha places, mostly Arabs, say a ban would be discriminatory to particular cultures. Younes Regragui, who owns The Desert Rose Cafe on Pape Avenue said, “It’s part of our heritage and to come in and tell the community of Arabs that we’re going to shut down the hookah places — I would consider that to be very unfair.”

Toronto health officials also justified their steps by saying that shisha is a source of air pollution.

WE SAID THIS: Rabena ma3ako ya ahl Toronto!