Air in some Hong Kong shisha bars contains dangerous levels of cancer-causing particles: study

Researcher says concentration of PM2.5 particles in shisha bars a ‘very strong public health warning’, showing need to ban flavoured tobacco

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Shisha smoking is particularly popular among young people, especially women, with about a quarter of university students saying they had tried it in a 2020 HKU study. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 12:00pm, 13 Jul 2024Updated: 6:20pm, 13 Jul 2024

Poor-quality air inside some of Hong Kong’s shisha bars has been found to contain dangerous levels of cancer-causing particles, despite indoor smoking having been banned for nearly two decades.

The discovery prompted health experts to step up support for a government proposal to outlaw flavoured tobacco products, calling it a “golden time” for the city to curb the use of the water pipes, also known as shisha, for which the health impacts were often underestimated by the public.

Unpublished research led by Dr Jay Lee Jung-jae of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) found the concentration of tiny PM2.5 particles, a type of carcinogen, could reach as much as 2,300 micrograms per cubic metre of air in some shisha bars in the city on weekends.

Lee, an assistant professor at the university’s nursing school, said the “alarming” findings added weight to the arguments behind the ban on targeted tobacco products, if not all, on top of many studies on the health risks of shisha smoking.

“The findings showed that indoor smoking is still allowed in some shisha bars, bringing first-, second- and third-hand smoke … not only to smokers but also to other bar-goers, staff, passers-by and nearby businesses,” he said.

“This is a very strong public health warning … we need to have more comprehensive regulations to control water pipe smoking, and banning flavours is an important step to reduce the prevalence.”