A MIDDLE Eastern-style tobacco smoking cafe is set to launch in Huddersfield.
The popularity of shisha or hookah pipe smoking has surged across Yorkshire in recent years, despite the smoking ban.
Now plans have emerged for one within the former Bar Amour premises on the corner of Zetland Street and Castlegate.
Kirklees Council has given the green light for the building to be re-opened as a dual purpose venue with the Arabian Lounge cafe and bar on the first floor and Chunky Chicken takeaway on the ground floor.
The plans show the Arabian Lounge premises will feature a coffee bar and a prayer room while the shisha smoking area will be in a specially constructed balcony smoking shelter.
The shelter, which will be stone with a slate roof, will be incorporated into the premises on top of a flat roof to the rear of the building, facing the Kingsgate Centre’s service yard.
Cafes with outdoor smoking shelters need roofs that are at least 50% open so air can circulate.
The design was amended a number of times but was finally approved by Kirklees planners earlier this month.
The number of cafes offering shisha pipe smoking has tripled since the 2007 smoking ban but health experts have warned they are still dangerous, despite the tobacco’s sweet and fruity taste.
Shisha smokers inhale tobacco with added flavourings or sweeteners through a vessel filled with water.
Although the water cools the smoke and makes it feel less harsh, the tobacco can still cause ill health, including lung and mouth cancer.
Because the smoke is cooler, some experts say people inhale it more deeply into their lungs, which they claim increases the risks even further.
Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the BHF, said: “Contrary to popular belief, shisha is not safer than smoking cigarettes.
“Don’t be duped by the sweet smell and wholesome sounding fruity flavours.
“If you use shisha you are a smoker and that means you’re putting your health at risk.
“It’s linked to the same serious and life-threatening diseases as cigarettes and there are added risks.
“You often smoke it for far longer than you would a cigarette and you’re also exposed to toxins from the wood or charcoal used to burn the tobacco.”
Data collected by the BHF from 133 local authorities in large towns and cities shows there were 179 shisha bars in 2007, rising to 556 now.
A poll by the charity found 15% of adults in Yorkshire and the Humber thought there were no health harms from using shisha while only a third understood that shisha contained tobacco.
