In the year 2017, the government imposed complete ban on the commercial use of “sheesha” to protect people’s health. Many sheesha cafes were shut down after the ban and many continued selling them illegally.

On July 2019, The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination has suggested lifting the ban on sheesha in Pakistan.

According to sources, Senator Mian Muhammad Ateeq, the head of committee said,

“People in developed countries are also smoking sheesha so why is Pakistan banning it, he asked. When it comes to implementing rules and regulations in Pakistan, sheesha cafés are still opened illegally in Karachi’s posh areas, he said. Even if we conduct a raid, they still manage to reopen the next day. Because of this we have considered lifting the ban on sheesha bars.”

According to him, by legalizing sheesha again in Pakistan will help to get more taxes from the restaurants which sell them, but this suggestion from the senate head is being critcized. The reason being, smoking sheesha is more dangerous to health as compared to smoking a cigarette.

Side Effects of Smoking Sheesha:

Here are some more reasons why smoking sheesha is injurious to health

1- Complications of lung function, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchitis.

2- Increased risk of heart conditions, such as heart disease and heart attack.

3- Increased risk of cancer, especially lung, throat, and mouth cancer.

4- remature skin aging, since smoking tobacco can decrease the amount of oxygen that reaches the skin.

5- Increased risk of infectious diseases, such as mononucleosis and oral herpes.

Sheesha Vs Cigarette:

Sheesha smoke that a person inhales can contain 36 times more tar than cigarette smoke, 15 times the carbon monoxide, and 70% more nicotine than one cigarette. An hour of smoking sheesha is like smoking 40 to 400 cigarettes, depending upon frequency of puffing and inhaling.