Jump to full article: The Peninsula (qa), 2010-08-09
Author: MOBIN PANDIT
Intro: DOHA: A form of tobacco use that is described by experts as being worse than cigarette addiction is catching on fast in the cash-rich Qatari community. Hounded by strident anti-smoking campaigns, cigarette smokers are gradually switching to Sheesha (hubble-bubble).
And the young, not only men but increasingly women, are falling prey to what are money-spinning rackets. A Sheesha joint on average makes between QR10,000 and QR15,000 a day.
It is no secret that come Ramadan and Sheesha smoking becomes a fad among Qatari men and women alike.
The irony is that while the government is curbing cigarette smoking and has passed stringent laws banning it in public places, cafes offering Sheesha drags are being encouraged by the authorities.
While the government has stopped issuing new licences for Sheesha joints, opening such “fancy” outlets in the Cultural Village or Souq Waqif is permitted, even encouraged.
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