A lounge has been forced to close its doors for allowing customers to smoke indoors.
Infinity Lounge, based on London Road, has been issued a three-month closure order from the courts after investigations found that customers were able to order and smoke shisha inside.
After being made aware of the issues within the premises, Liverpool City Council’s Public Protection officers attended alongside Merseyside Police, where they found a number of people smoking inside.
Despite warnings about the illegality of the practice, the owners continued to allow shisha to be smoked indoors, with a subsequent visit finding a customer smoking a cigarette at the same time.
It was also found that the shisha being sold to customers did not comply with UK regulations, which are set out to prevent dangerous tobacco products entering the market.
Now the lounge has been ordered to close until January next year, and owners have been warned that they must make necessary changes in the future to prevent shisha from being smoked indoors.
Shisha is made up from molasses/sugar, fruit flavourings and tobacco. While shisha lounges are not illegal, they must not be in fully enclosed spaces, as set out in the Health Act 2006.
The act made it illegal for any products containing tobacco to be smoked within an eclosed space, such as restaurants or pubs, to prevent people from inhaling second hand smoke.
Legal shisha lounges will have the product available in an outdoor space, or one with at least half its wall space open.
Councillor Harry Doyle, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said: “Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable ill health and premature death in Liverpool. Many long-term conditions are either caused or exacerbated by smoking.
“As a product which is smoked and contains tobacco, the law states that shisha cannot be smoked indoors, to protect people from inhaling second hand smoke, which can still be dangerous.
“We will always investigate premises that are reported to have potentially broken the law and take action as appropriate.”
Sergeant Carol McCartney from Liverpool city centre Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “We are pleased with this outcome and will continue to work closely alongside Liverpool City Council and our other partners to take action when such harmful offences are identified.”
