Councils are said to be considering introducing licensing for shisha pipe cafes amid fears they pose fire and general health risks, a BBC investigation has revealed.
According to a Freedom of Information request submitted to 133 councils in the UK, the number of cafes has increased from 179 to 556 – a 210% increase since 2007.
Legitimate Shisha cafes comply with smoke-free legislation by providing partially open air smoking areas. But Govind Madora, health and safety team manager for Leicester City Council, is concerned about the fire and health risks of back street ‘cafes’ trying to avoid the law.
"We are investigating and prosecuting several places in the city," he told BBC News. "These places are enclosed, often their doors are locked. They are death traps, not just because of the fire hazard, but with the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning from the charcoal-fuelled tobacco."