Shisha bars
| The practice of chicha began to appear in Europe in the 1980s. First in closed circles of immigrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa; then, in recent years, shisha bars have sprung up in major cities, taking advantage of the increasingly negative public image of cigarettes. In a calm, colorful and fragrant oriental atmosphere, customers, generally in groups of 4 to 8, rub shoulders with tea-drinkers... But beware: these meeting places are not always in compliance with the law...! From a legal point of view, in Belgium, the law forbids smoking in public places and workplaces of any tobacco product or similar product. Chicha, which is essentially composed of tobacco, is therefore just as forbidden as cigarettes. In cafés and HORECA establishments, the regulations in force are somewhat different, but clear standards exist. In fact, if the bar is classified as a "café" (which means that spirits are served there), smoking is only permitted if a smoke extractor is installed or if there is a separate non-smoking area (if the bar is larger than 50m²). If the bar falls into the "other HORECA establishments" category (i.e., if spirits are not served), smoking is prohibited, except in a smoking room, provided it meets very strict standards. In practice, very few shisha bars meet these standards, and by frequenting them, whether as a smoker or simply as a companion, you expose yourself to extremely high levels of smoke. |
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updated on 4/28/24
