Smothered by the nanny state

One of my proudest moments in Government as an adviser was briefing on the importance of maintaining the tradition of the hookah as a cultural right and a social right, no less than sharing a beer or a wine. I had support for my advice from various Arabic and other community members, not doctors per se, but the various communities. So what of those that want to enjoy a couple of drags on a shisha and for mental wellbeing see this as a socially and culturally acceptable pastime, particularly as many Muslim communities shun alcohol.  

Jon Faine agreed with Ms Hartland that banning the shisha was a matter of public health not cultural right. He highlighted how things maybe culturally relative yet inappropriate in Australia, like “ritual circumcisions”. Ritual circumcision? That comparison reveals a haughty assumption that health zealots manipulate to enforce control on individuals’ and their freedoms. Muslims and Jews and others that believe in religious circumcision can circumcise under appropriate provisions.  Groups of people sharing a hookah do not constitute a health risk, far less anyway than the river of cars at 25-km-per-hour spewing out lethal gasses at peak hour traffic. Also, what of the rights of these citizens have to associate in public and smoke a hookah?  

In Australia we have one of the highest occurrences of melanoma in the world due to exposure of the sun’s rays. Yet, where are shade and beach rental umbrellas? The concern over skin cancer does not override the obsession of maintaining ‘pristine’ beaches. 

Smoking the flavoured tobaccos of a hookah may not be good for you, but most who do, do so occasionally. The ones that drink daily may in the long run also suffer detrimental health effects. Ms Hartland did not call for the banning of pubs, bottle shops or the selling of alcohol. 

There’s also a philosophical issue at hand. If one decides to smoke, or drink, or overeat, is that not part of that individual’s agency? We have the information, we have awareness surely we have decisions to make. The expected life span in Australia sits at 82.5 years according to WHO and is equivalent to that of France, Germany, Spain and Italy, yet these nations have far more chilled out laws on drinking and smoking.  These nations also spend more on health per capita and take care of all their citizens, regardless of citizens’ habits.