THE owner of a Middlesbrough café has been ordered to pay more than £1,000 in fines and costs after breaching smoke-free laws. (Photos on Flickr)
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Environmental Health Officers from Middlesbrough Council’s Community Protection Service visited the Habebe Mediterranean Café in Benson Street, Middlesbrough in October, 2011 and found customers smoking shisha pipes inside the premises.
Public Health Enforcement Officer Tracey Newman said: “Smoking in enclosed and substantially enclosed public places and places of work is prohibited under the Health Act 2006.
“Shisha pipes are used to smoke fruit-scented tobacco which is burnt using coal, with the smoke passing through a water vessel and inhaled through a hose.
“The owner of the café, Abdulla Al-Hashimi, had previously been warned about the use of shisha pipes but had continued to serve shisha for use inside his premises.”
Al-Hashimi, who was present at the time of the visit in October, was charged under Section 8 of the Health Act with failing to prevent smoking in a smoke-free place.
He admitted the offence when he appeared at Middlesbrough Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (April 17) and was fined £300, with £700 towards the Council’s costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
Councillor Brenda Thompson, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Public Health and Sport, said: “Smoke-free laws were introduced to protect the public and employees from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke which can contain more than 4,000 toxic chemicals, of which more than 50 are carcinogenic.
“Since the introduction of the Health Act, compliance with smoke-free laws in Middlesbrough has remained high, but smoking rates in the town remain higher than the North East and England averages.
“Reducing the prevalence of smoking and, in particular, preventing exposure to secondhand smoke, is therefore a major priority for the Council and its health partners.
“The Community Protection Service provides advice to businesses to help them comply with smoke-free laws, but where serious breaches are found enforcement action will be considered.”
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