Sheffield shisha cafe fined £1,300 over illegal smoking

Oasis Café on Carlisle Street in Burngreave was charged with failing to prevent smoking in smoke-free premises, contrary to Health Act of 2006.

Its owner, Omar Mohammed Hassan Abdullah, was proven guilty and ordered to pay a £440 fine, £44 victim surcharge and £836.56 costs.

Councillor Lewis Dagnall, cabinet member for environment at Sheffield City Council, said: "Smoke-free regulations protect the public, and it is our duty to make sure premises comply with the law. Indoor smoking puts customers and staff at serious risk of respiratory conditions from second-hand smoke, and the conclusion of this case provides another important reminder that shisha bars are not exempt from the law.

"The Council will continue to take enforcement action to prevent illegal tobacco consumption, as part of our wider public health goal of tackling the harmful effects of tobacco in Sheffield and South Yorkshire."

This incident followed similar prosecutions in June, with fines totaling more than £15,000 after visits from Sheffield City Council’s Health and Safety Enforcement Team.

Sheffield City Council regularly inspects businesses to make sure they are compliant with smoke-free regulations. The authority also works closely with partners at organisations including South Yorkshire Police, the Safeguarding Children Board and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, to ensure the health and wellbeing of the public.

A shisha cafe is one in which people smoke tobacco from a communal pipe or hookah. It originated in the Middle East but is now popular the world over.