Faced with complaints from residents, the mayor of the town of Carros in the Alpes-Maritimes issued a municipal decree to keep hookah smokers away from public benches.
The shisha has become democratized, and left apartments and bars. So much so that it has become a nuisance for some citizens. Faced with the exasperation of the citizens of Carros, Charles Scibetta, the unlabeled mayor of the small town of the Alpes-Maritimes issued a decree to ban its consumption in public space.
The phenomenon had grown to such proportions that 180 handrails had been left at the police station. “This ostentatious occupation is aggressive,” said Charles Scibetta, the mayor of the city of 12,000 inhabitants. Having young people come together implies a deprivation of this public space for families who make a detour with their children, feel a sense of fear and inhale smoke ”
Because in addition to passive smoking, the presence of shisha smokers involves other problems. A case of burn with a charcoal – which allows the combustion of tobacco – has been identified, reports the mayor. When consumers leave the premises, they also often leave it there, even though it is extremely messy.
A new trend
This is not the first time that such a decision has been taken. In 2014, the municipality of Ermont in the Val-d’Oise had taken a similar decree, which was also inspired by Charles Scibetta. Three minutes have been distributed since its recent entry into force. The fine can be set between 11 and 38 euros, and possibly doubled in the event of a repeat offense.
The text adopted in the Alpes-Maritimes prohibits consumption around homes, gardens and public facilities (schools, gymnasiums, library) within a radius of 20 meters, as well as in public car parks. These decisions go beyond the Evin law bans on tobacco consumption.
The public health code stipulates that the consumption of shisha, like other tobacco products, is restricted. It can only be done in outdoor and uncovered spaces, or in enclosed spaces under special conditions: the room must be equipped with an extraction device, automatic closures, must not be a passageway or exceed 20% of the area of the establishment, or 35 m².
Shisha more harmful than cigarettes
Scientific studies carried out in recent years are unanimous: smoking shisha is as harmful to health as conventional tobacco, if not worse. The doses of carbon monoxide and tar are respectively 10 and 25 times greater than for cigarettes, and the dose of smoke 125 times. But mistaken beliefs die hard, and the shisha enjoys a less harmful image than its cousin. Shisha bars often enjoy a certain tolerance, compared to smoking.
“In 2006, when the ban on smoking in public places was put in place, there was strong pressure so that shisha was not affected, remembers pulmonologist Bertrand Dautzenberg. We then urgently relayed small studies and wrote a book to draw attention to this toxicity. Our conclusions were similar to these results ”.
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