SMOKING'S HEALTHY

An Oxygen CafŽ is to open in Bahrain and offer a 'healthy sheesha' for addicts of the traditional smoking pipe which health officials have urged people to cut down on as part of an anti-smoking drive.

The cafŽ with a difference is set to open this coming Tuesday alongside Veranda CafŽ in Adliya and will be the first of its kind in the Middle East.

On the menu will be fresh green salads and fruit juices but the management behind the Oxygen CafŽ believe 'healthy sheesha' will prove a hit with locals who want to kick the nasty nicotine habit but still enjoy the cultural ambience and flavour of the traditional sheesha experience.

The company behind its introduction is UAE-based International Industrial Medical Suppliers (iims) in association with Bahrain Pharmacy. Dr Khaled Fakhry, chairman of iims, say they have taken the concepts of oxygen bars and sheesha cafŽs and fused them into a unique combination.

"Our researchers came across the concept of oxygen sheeshas in Spain and we thought it would be a good idea to bring the design to Bahrain," he said. "People like smoking sheesha but most of us know it isn't very healthy. So the oxygen sheesha takes the concept of the oxygen bar and adapts it to the Arab mentality."

The oxygen bar concept is well-establised and popular in the US and Europe - especially in places where high levels of pollution produce a widespread desire for a breath of fresh air. There, customers simply call in for a short shot of a high-level concentration of oxygen supplied by a 'nose hose'.

In Bahrain, customers will be able use the familiar-looking pipe and select an aroma of their choice costing BD3.500 from more than 200 options on the menu.

Dr Fakhry claims that the 'healthy sheesha' is good for concentration, digestion, stress relief and stimulating the immune system although cynics say healthy people already have the maximum possible concentration of oxygen in their blood.

"The healthy sheesha provides oxygen and aroma, which also has unique benefits. Each aroma has a different effect and benefit, orange gives you energy and Jasmine relieves stress," he added.

In the West, cafŽs and juice bars have found that adding oxygen equipment is a good way to boost profits as patrons feel they're getting something valuable and many health-conscious customers would rather spend their money on oxygen than alcohol.

The medical profession warns that individuals with respiratory diseases such as asthma and emphysema should not inhale too much oxygen in this form but the American Lung Association says there is no evidence that oxygen at the low flow levels used in bars can be dangerous to a normal person's health.

Pharmacist Dr Yousuf Ismail, business development co-ordinator at Bahrain Pharmacy, said: "Sheesha is very popular in Arab culture so we want to give people a healthy option. We want people to stop smoking tobacco and we feel this may help them."

Veranda CafŽ's manageress Florentina Neculae said: "I think this concept will be popular with people who like the atmosphere but do not enjoy the smoking.I personally feel it will be ideal for couples, particularly when one of the partners is a non-smoker."