Hume council will lobby for changes to tobacco laws to put an end to waterpipe smoking in the municipality’s restaurants and cafes.
The council will write to Health Minister Jill Hennessy to ask the state government to change the relevant Act so that waterpipe smoking is covered by the same laws as tobacco smoking.
Currently, the law bans products in which tobacco is the main ingredient from being smoked indoors at cafes and restaurants, as well as preventing them from being smoked by minors.
But waterpipes, also known as hookahs, are exempt from the act as they contain a mixture of tobacco, molasses and flavourings, meaning tobacco may not be the main ingredient.
Other councils, including Greater Dandenong, and health organisations including Quit Victoria, the Heart Foundation, Cancer Council and Australian Lebanese Medical Association, are also backing the ban.
Hume councillor Alan Bolton said he was amazed that there were 17 restaurants in Hume where waterpipes could be smoked.
“It’s like any other smoking, and people suffer with lung cancer, respiratory illness and cardiovascular disease. We need to close the loophole in the Tobacco Act,” Cr Bolton said.
“This is the first step in reducing waterpipe smoking-related harm to residents.”
Quit Victoria director Dr Sarah White said Victoria was the only state in Australia that still allowed waterpipe smoking in workplaces.
She said the practice was putting the health of staff and customers at risk.
“Using a waterpipe to smoke tobacco has serious health effects for smokers, and for other exposed to secondhand smoke,” Dr White said.
“In fact, a one-hour waterpipe smoking session can produce secondhand smoke with as much carbon monoxide as that produced by 20 cigarettes.
“It is unacceptable that staff and customers in Victorian workplaces must continue to be exposed to the extensive health impacts of secondhand smoke due to a legislative oversight.”
