Edmonton restaurants to fight Alberta hookah-pipe ban

Edmonton restaurants that allow smoking of herbal material in hookah pipes are hoping to convince the province not to ban the practice.

"We have a strategy that we're going to be following by actually talking to govenment, giving them some ideas, said Mohamad El-Turk owner the Sultan Palace downtown.

"Having proper ventilation in your place will reduce the risk of being exposed to second-hand smoking," he said.

El-Turk fears if hookah smoking is banned, his restaurant will fail.

Shisha smokers traditionallyuse flavoured tobacco,which is banned in Alberta restaurants.Many establishmentsinstead offer "herbal mixtures" such as fruit-flavoured molasses, which the province considers to be a "tobacco-like" product.

Health Minister Fred Horne plans to introduce changesto Albertas Tobacco Reduction Actthis fall, but says heis not sure if itwill address "tobacco-like" products.

Dr. James Talbot, Alberta's chiefmedical officer of health, recommended amending the Tobacco Reduction Act in a report from February 2012entitled Waterpipe Smoking in Alberta.

He suggested that Alberta Health and Wellness look attightening anti-smoking laws in the province torestrictpublicuse of waterpipes commonly referred to as hookah, shisha and narghile.

Talbotsaid ventilation isn't effective and breathing in smoke from anyburning material is unhealthy.

"Data shows that the same kind of carcinogens that cause lung cancer are found in that product as are found in tobacco," said Talbot.

El-Turk and Co Co Diowner Riad Ghazal have teamed up with other restaurant owners to hire a lobbyist to present their concerns.

Chief medical officer of health report: