CALGARY — Calgary councillors have shelved a discussion on banning shisha in city establishments for now, instead opting to wait for a provincial review on the issue that will be completed early next year.

The uncertainty about the future of his main revenue source has one shisha lounge owner worried about his business.

“If the city were to ban shisha, they would basically be closing our doors,” said Odai Alghebari, the general manager and owner of the recently opened Cafe Med. on 17th Avenue S.W.

“[A ban] would essentially kill us,” he said.

Councillors debated for hours about the ban Wednesday and heard presentations from several health professionals about the impact of smoking shisha and vaping products.

City administration had recommended an outright ban of shisha, giving establishments 18 months to adjust to the bylaw change. The committee decided to delay making any decision.

“A decision to delay regulation is a worrying and very sad decision,” said Juliet Guichon, an associate professor at the University of Calgary’s Cummings School of Medicine.

“They had the opportunity to start rolling back incidents of youth getting addicted and they didn’t seize it.”
 

'Let people live their own lives'

City staff said there are at least 40 lounges in Calgary currently offering shisha.

Alghebari said he spent more than $100,000 upgrading the ventilation system at Cafe Med to make it safer for customers and staff while people are smoking shisha.

“We have exhaust systems and air systems that allows us to take all the precautions we need to for the smoke not to harm anyone,” he said.

Council will still discuss the issue of banning shisha later this month, though no decision on changes to the bylaw is expected.

Coun. Jeromy Farkas said he believes the city shouldn’t put small business owners in a difficult decision by regulating their main source of revenue.

“I think at the end of the day you have to let people live their own lives,” Farkas said.

“People are educated about the risks of going to establishments like that. Ultimately, I think if they know what the risks are, it’s up to them to decide.”

The government of Alberta is reviewing its vaping and shisha rules and expect to make changes to Tobacco Act regulations in the spring.