BLACKBURN is the north of England’s shisha cafe capital, according to the British Heart Foundation.

The number of cafes in the borough has risen from four to 14 in the past five years, topping Manchester, Bradford and Leeds per head of population.

Leading health and community figures want urgent action to be taken to limit the number of premises, which have become increasingly popular with younger people.

Their call follows a study this week which highlighted the dangers of smoking shisha tobacco.

Almost everyone surveyed was unaware that during a typical hour-long shisha session, you can inhale the same amount of smoke as from more than 100 tobacco cigarettes.

Risks include heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease and problems during pregnancy.

The survey also found that nearly one in 10 adults thought there were no health harms from using shisha.

Councillor Ron O’Keefe, Blackburn with Darwen’s Children and Health Scrutiny committee chairman, said: “We need more education for young people, young males especially. The message needs to be put out there very, very strongly about the harmful effects smoking shisha has.

“People who go into these shisha bars need to be asked directly whether they’re aware of the health impacts it can have.

“There also needs to be an open dialogue in schools where youngsters can speak openly without worrying that they are going to get into trouble. It’s no good talking to the parents, because they might not know their child is smoking it.”

Councillor Salim Mulla, of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, said he ‘wasn’t surprised at all’ by the findings.

He said: “I see lots and lots of people using shisha pipes, and they’re using them at home too.

“It’s a problem in the Muslim community - it’s a custom from the Middle East that’s been brought over by people originally from there - and I’d say it’s 75 to 80 per cent young men who are doing it.

“I think it’s growing in popularity because there’s a lack of education and people don’t know how harmful it can be. They think it’s not as bad as smoking cigarettes, when in fact it’s worse.

“I think there’s an extra responsibility on the local authority and the health trusts to get the message out, and to stop more of these cafes opening up.

“We need intervention now, because this will come home to roost when the NHS have to deal with the illnesses caused by shisha smoking.”

He said the Lancashire Council of Mosques was keen to work with health bosses.

“The local authority need to engage more with groups like the Lancashire Council of Mosques, because we have access to nearly every mosque in Lancashire,” he said.

“We can get the message out to 800 to 900 people at each Friday prayer, and then they will go and spread the message to their families.”

Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the BHF, said: “Contrary to popular belief, shisha is not safer than smoking cigarettes.

“Don’t be duped by the sweet smell and wholesome sounding fruity flavours. If you use shisha you are a smoker and that means you’re putting your health at risk.

“It’s linked to the same serious and life-threatening diseases as cigarettes and there are added risks because you often smoke it for far longer than you would a cigarette and you’re also exposed to toxins from the wood or charcoal used to burn the tobacco.”

The BHF survey results showed shisha was most popular among young people with more than a quarter of UK 18 to 24-year-olds saying they’d used it.

In Blackburn with Darwen there is now one shisha cafe per 10,000 people. In comparison, in Manchester there is one per 19,100 people, in Bolton one per 14,000, and Bradford one per 17,200.

Andrea Crossfield, director of Tobacco Free Futures, said: “It’s worrying that shisha smoking is becoming increasingly fashionable amongst young people and is not just prevalent within minority and ethnic communities. We need to do more to highlight that shisha bars are not exempt from the legislation which covers other tobacco.”

In shisha bars, flavoured tobacco is smoked via a long pipe connected to a vessel filled with water. The vessel is often passed from person to person.